Work it!

Well, the horses have settled nicely and they are starting to be ridden separately again after their initial few weeks of insecurity. Nell has so far been left alone in the stable while the boys go out and ridden on her own. She threw some tremendous tantrums but the ride was highly enjoyable. I do love riding her when she's fired up. She's all speed and power and fury but still remembers that I'm on top of her. God I love her.

Tralee went out by himself as well resulting in a similar scenario. He's like a lit firework when he's in that sort of mood and you suddenly remember that he was a full time hunter only 2 1/2 years ago. Steve Otty (our vet) confirmed what we had been noticing a while now: the ringbone is bigger. So the old lad has been put on a sachet of bute per day just for winter while the ground is hard and the weather cold.

Rocky couldn't give a crap. He's just too chilled for his own good sometimes.

So the nearest thing on our agenda now is getting the horses fit and ready for hunting this year. Tralee's fitness is excellent, Nell's is good and Rocky's is somewhat below average so Nell needs some fast paced rides to tune up and Rocky needs more schooling to develop the correct muscles and longer rides at a quicker pace.

Jumping is going well and Nell and Tralee have really enjoyed themselves. We have to wait now for the field to dry out a bit before we can do some more but we are at least hoping to make some more jumps and make the existing ones bigger.

Hectic half term

Everyone and everything was moved without a hitch on saturday. Emma, my nextdoor neighbour(who is also a horse owner) and I rode the horses down from Kestal. They appeared to know nothing about what was happening and seemed to think they were going on a simple ride. We worked them rather hard to make sure they were tired and less likely to panic in the new stables which seemed to do the trick. They all looked worried but were reassured by each other and us. The day after they had had enough of being stabled and Tralee had figured out that he could reach around the dividing wall to try a chomp Nell who managed to remain just out of reach. They did look to head back up gears lane on the way to the field but caused very little fuss when we led them in the opposite direction.

It's been only three days but they have already settled well and it appears that they have realised this is their new home. The dividing fence between Nell and the boys was tasken down yesterday. Much to our surprise there was no chasing initially and Tralee mostly herded the two horses around and away from each other. We later found him with a cut on his back leg, a rip in Nell's rug and a good number of chase marks in the grass. We concluded that the most likely cause of Tralee's injury was that he had tried to mount Nell and she had probably kicked him. Thankfully it's not as bad as it looks and should be fine for him to go for a ride tomorrow. There were no signs of injury today and as soon as I opened the fence to let them to the top, Nell and Tralee both galloped all the way to the gate with each other. Rocky decided that running was just too much work and ambled slowly up the field. I did notice that Nell was rather reluctant to be touched for some reason so I suspect Tralee has probably bitten her a few times and is feeling a little tender. I'll give her a good grooming tomorrow and hope that he stops the stallionish behaviour soon.

Moving day confirmed and some gorgeous photos

Well, we are officially moving. Everyone and everything is heading down to Gears Lane on the 24th of this month. We have already packed most of our stuff away and have cleared the mouldy hay barn down at the new place to get rid of the rats and dogs who keep getting in there. We're already sizing up the other things that need to be sorted and can't wait to get things going. We are still waiting on whoever borrowed 10 of our fencing stakes to give them back otherwise mum said she will slowly pick some off without letting them know. We bought some anti crib spray off ebay to prevent Nell eating the stables at night but whether it'll work or not is another matter. Stall chains are the next essential item to stop the troublesome two from just walking under the one thats currently there and the electric fencing is being set up in a week or so, ready for them to go straight in. Saturday saw a change in the weather and I decided that it was now or not until spring that I get some nice photos of Nell. We did start the day with all the intentions of working the horses hard for 15 mins in the sand school and then taking some photos but instead we hardly worked the horses at all. We rode bareback and as I was mounting from the fence, Nell decided to walk off and dump me in the sand. I would have been fine if I had just let go of the rope but I ended up pulling my fingernail up. It is still a bit sore but the blood supply is still there and I don't think I'll lose the nail thankfully. Emma exercised both boys and managed to get them both to canter.

Nell was completely unfazed by the rope or gestures we were making to get her to move and I had to shove her a bit to make her go. After a while though, she started to really enjoy herself and all Emma has to do was lead her to the top of the sandschool and let her loose!

Patience is a virtue

We have been waiting for a long time now for a cheaper field to come up close to home. Although Kestal has excellent facilities and everyone there is great, as soon as Jane asked if we wanted to swap places with her we jumped at the chance. As long as Tess; her daughter, likes Kestal we should be moving Nell, Rocky and Tralee down to Gears Lane. Its a 5 minute walk to get there and it should save us around £100 a month or more. We will have 2 large fields that we are fencing into 5 for grazing and a small one that will be used for schooling and jumping, or as a spill over field when the grass gets too long in there. Hopefully Tralee will accept Nell in with him and Rocky, but if not we will just fence off a piece for her. There is no hot water or electrical outlet but you can't have everything and still pay so little.

There are a few things that need to be done though:

• Tralee and Nell's stables need a door put on. They only have a chain across currently to stop them getting into the tie-up area which Tralee and Nell would both figure out how to get through/under etc.
• We might get a small solar powered generator/battery to power a kettle, lighting or other small electric items.
• Electic fencing temporarily around one of the sides of the schooling field due to barb wire. Eventually would like to replace the wire with a proper fence when we have enough money.
• Someone wrote their horses names in pen all over the wood doors. That needs to be scrubbed or sanded off so that we can put some real name plates up.
• Move everything. Our boxes, tack, rugs, fence posts, tape, trolley, feed bins and of course the horses all need to be moved down there in october.

In other news, Nell seems to be looking well again although her fitness has taken quite a knock. She was very lazy today on the ride so will consider adding oats to her feed this winter. She was happy enough to trot all the way up to her field and across it with me bareback today and ran over to the gate to flirt with Justin. She seems to be back to her usual self but has definitely lost stamina since being rested.

Rocky has developed a swelling above his pastern. The girls rekon it is probably just a windgall that won't go away with exercise as he isn't lame with it. Emma and I changed his bit last week to a straight bar half-twist snaffle. It adds a bit more pressure for when he decides to tank off but is milder for him - no more nutcracker action! He is much happier in it - mouthing less, lowering his neck and head and not hollowing out when the reins are pulled - all signs that a bit change was just what he needs to start building a better outline.

Tralee is, as usual, grumpy. He was fairly mellow today though and is happy to be on longer grass. Moving will be more traumatic for him than the other two though. Nell will settle as long as there are horses she knows, food and her humans. Rocky is so chilled anyway he won't be worried at all. He might become a bit withdrawn for a few days until he settles down but he'll be fine with the other two and as long as we give him plenty of cuddles. Tralee is a worry though as he was in the same home for 14 years then for the past 2 has never lived anywhere else but Kestal. We hope that he should be ok with Nell, Rocky and us there but there is always a chance he will try and go back to Kestal.

Fingers crossed Tess likes Kestal and we do get the field. If we do, hopefully moving will go as smooth as possible.

Money don't grow on trees

...Which is quite unfortunate when you've just had a big vet visit.
All three horses had their teeth done which was pretty dramaless apart from Tralee throwing his head as high as possible. Nell had her flu jabs - the only horse we bother vaccinating against it as Tralee has NEVER been flued and Rocky's was out of date by about three years so he has probably built up some immunities by now. The vet had his microchip scanner stolen so we couldn't check Nell for that but he had a good look at her leg and shoulder, finding nothing. She flexed through all the way and there was no abcess in the foot. He noted that she is short-stepping in front but I know that already and that is simply due to her upright shoulder. He also said she wasn't tracking up behind properly, which I also noticed when mum trotted her up. Sooo... It could be her back. We're going to try and get some money together and have the back specialist come out to sort them all. + there's a free massage for the horse owner after! Optional of course. Then a couple of days ago Nell's shoulder swelled up and became very liquidy. We rekoned a kick but yesterday I went to sort her and couldn't really see what was wrong. When Alex checked her she was surprised at how much it had gone down - it had apparently been very puffy - and it looked almost completely like the other side. So thankfully she doesn't need to go for X-rays. At least that's some good news. She is however on Bute for whatever is causing the pain in her leg and therefore riding her is out of the question for now. I'm also back at college on Wednesday which I am pleased about. I have the weekends to ride Tralee or Rocky until Nell is better, and three days a week of brain stimulating bliss.

The end of an era

Lucy was put to sleep on Wednesday, the day after her 29th birthday. She had come down with mild laminitis a week or so before that suddenly became very much worse. She was put down at her home with her owners around her and had recieved many welcome visitors the day before to say goodbye. Everyone who knew her well was alerted and most pitched up that afternoon with the exception of myself and Sian, who both for the same reason didn't wish to remember her in that way. Lucy's death marks the end of something in everyone's lives and she will be sorely missed by us all. In some ways we think that if we still had her she may not have become ill. In others, we are glad she was at home rather than with us when it happened. In the end it turned out Lucy had Cushings, something we had suspected when her curly winter coat took a long time to shed. She went downhill so suddenly it was a big shock to everyone but with Gemma returning to Uni in only a few weeks and the fact she was an old pony with Cushings; putting her to sleep before it got worse was the kindest thing to do. Lucy was a remarkable little pony who taught so many children to ride that she will never really be gone as long as people remember her.

quick updates

Well Nel and I missed out on the jumping down at L.Jane's again. This time it was because she threw up lame. She had an old injury to her shoulder that plays up from time to time so she is on the No Bute as well now. Even Mum said that its time to face facts that they are old horses so now Tralee is on 25ml, Nel is on 15ml - which we will start reducing to 10ml again soon, and Rocky is on 10ml.

We saw Gemma the other day and Lucy is doing fine back in her home. She and Jasper are getting along great and her back shoes have come off - an official sign of retirement. Gemma is still taking her out occasionaly but we are hoping that she will not be coming back to us this winter.

Emma is riding again and we are back to our usual pace with lots of canter work. The trotting is a bit much for her so we try not to do much of that. She is coming up this week to help re-paint the stable walls and Alex and Pip have asked if she would ride Truffles as he is starting to get a bit too wide for the little girls to straddle. ;D

I'll blog again later in the week but for the moment I'm busy busy busy!

Some beach photos

Just a couple of photos from mine and Sarah's trip to the beach a couple of weeks ago. Can't figure out how to turn them over so you'll just have to make do.

Emma has been doing some light riding but cruddy weather today meant we just decided to hang around the stables. Nell has had her mane plaited to encourage it to grow and choose a side of the neck to fall on. She looks very pretty plaited and I expect I'll do it for the showjumping on the 12th.

Why do I end up working harder than the horse?

Mum took my uncle's ex riding today. Beverly has said for a while now that she wants to get back into riding so give's us £10 when she uses Rocky. She's still very novicy and hasn't rode in about 14 years so has very little balance, therefore mum rides out with her. I didn't go with them but took Nell around the lakes in the hopes of burning some fat off her due to her putting on some unwanted weight. We whizzed round the lakes in about 15 mins, trotting flat out pretty much all the way but it took about an hour to do the full ride. I'm careful about trotting on the roads for too long as it doesn't do Nell's hooves or legs any good and I wouldn't dare go faster than a slow walk down halammaning hill so it takes at least 20 mins to actually get down to the lakes. After Croft Gothal we'd still only been out for half an hour so I extended the ride a bit. By the time we got home, Nell was warm, tired and breathing quite heavily but she didn't even work up a sweat. There was a small patch under her thick saddle pad where the saddle sits but otherwise I had sweated more than she had. On the plus side I wasn't as hot, tired or sweaty as usual so I must be getting somewhat fitter.

Sarah said she would accompany me to the show jumping on the 9th August with Gully. We went to the beach last week and he was so well behaved for a 4 year old. I think thats Cobs all over though - you can't beat Cobs for temperment and amiability. We got some action shots and are hoping to go down again to get some more - possibly closer this time.

Rocky's nose, which was badly sunburned, is now looking lovely again and is smooth as a baby's bottom. He is developing some muscle tone now and seems to be more eager to go out these days. Tralee on the other hand is feeling rather grumpy and we may need to up his No Bute. His ringbone is getting bigger and seems to be more painful as the heat in his hoof today was much more than the other three. We knew when we got him that the ringbone would probably be the one thing to put him out of work but the riding does seem to ease it more so than just standing in a field.

Well, I'll try to get the photos up here soon but if not then you'll just have to be patient.

No go

Well the show is out of the question. Both Nell and Tralee are about ready to throw their shoes. Nell is holding on to them better than ever - they've both been about 8 weeks since Tony last came out and considering this time last year she was losing them after only two weeks her hoof horn has definately improved. It also goes to show that if you are trying to save money, ride your horse a bit gentler and the shoes and hooves will both benefit.
So now I have my gaze fixed on the 9th August when the next show jumping will be happening. Perhaps it's for the best and Emma may be able to take Tralee by then.
Well, having to shoe Nell less frequently will save me quite a bit of money and other news, I bought out the share Allison had in the jumps with her horse Fliss for £80. That now means we can use the jumps whenever we want. We now have plenty of time to practice for the next show and hopefully I will have someone to come with me.

Holidays

Well, the summer hols are here and I am already starting to feel a little bored. I have been riding between the rain showers but haven't felt as enthusiastic as normal. I am however, very excited about the upcoming show! Lisa said she was probably going to be busy that day as she's just got a job so it depends on whether Emma is off her legs. Damn surgeons had a poke around but didn't actually bother taking the cyst out from behind her knee... I'll phone her tonight and if she can't come I may have to ask Liz. Even if I don't make it this time around, there are plenty more shows this year.

Jumping

On the 12th July I am hoping to take Nell for her first showjumping event down at Laura Jane's. Lisa has agreed to come and jump Tralee as Emma will not be able to ride for a few weeks after her knee op.

She said she would try jumping him this week and with a bit of luck we'll get a few ribbons! Fingers crossed everything goes well and the horses don't suddenly throw up lame.

Just one mistake...

Sometimes people make big mistakes. Mum made one of those mistakes today by letting my sister ride Nell. To her credit, Mum honestly thought Sian would be careful on a horse she didn't know. I guess she was wrong.

Mum, Sian and Marion on Quids went for a ride today. It was mostly lots of roadwork as Quids is an old lad - the same age as Tralee - and also suffers quite badly with ringbone. Sian, being the defiant and contrary twat she is had a tantrum because they were only doing roadwork due to Quids being a bit lame. She threw a hissy fit and decided that she had had enough and was going home.

The stupid cow turned Nell around at Lucy's lane and made her canter off. Quids was spinning, Tralee was being arsey about being left behind and Sian was running Nell right towards Lucy. Great. So Mum hurriedly apologised to Marion that she had to get Sian before she got to the road and went after her. Thanfully Marion was fine and continued on her way, but Quids can be a funny character and is not 100% bombproof as our horses are.

Mum had called after Sian who had pulled Nell up right in front of Lucy who started screaming to Nell, and Nell back to Lucy. Then she booted her and made her canter the rest of the lane. Mum was absolutely shaking with both fear and anger when she caught hold of Nell at the end of the lane. She took poor old Nells reins and led Sian back to the vicarage where she immediately told her to get off the horse and that she was never riding any of our horses again.

Nell had only been doing what was asked of her and unfortunately it had been a stupid, selfish and dangerous act on behalf of a rider who knew better. That is why I refused to let her friend use Nell. That is why I worry about other people riding her. It's because I know no-one else will ride her the same way I do. I don't think I have ever hated Sian more than at this moment in time and it's going to take a bit of time for Nell to forget Lucy all over again thanks to her.

My sister will not be going near my horse again. I have made that quite clear, as has Mum, who I think has lost a lot of confidence in her. Marion as well was rather angry and ticked her off for doing what she had done.

Tomorrow I plan to do some quiet schooling and in hand work with her, getting her neck reining, stops and I might work on the rein back or turn on forehand. After today I think she just needs some time to chill out a little.

Wet weather blues

The glorious summer is once more being clouded by the forecast for another spell of rain. Riding is, unfortunately, not on the top of my to do list and I'm in a bit of a slump at the moment.

On the positive side, I schooled Nell bareback last week. We practised neck reining which she did fantastically well in. Serpentines, circles, diagonally across the school; she did it like a pro. I woder if she was ridden western at some point in her life or whether she's just learnt from how I ride her. We did a little bit of free jumping as well. She jumped about 1 ft but wasn't overly excited about doing so. She prefers being ridden really and kept running out. We ended on a good note by making her do a small jump so that the last one she'd remember doing would not be getting away with a run out. I jumped up again and did a bit more turning and stopping then finished for the day. I'm hoping to do it again this week and possibly do some jumping in the sandschool.

Summer is here!

Summer is here and boy does it feel like it. The weather is ecceptionally warm and its just too nice to be stuck in college all day. So tonight Emma and I are riding down to the beach after college.

I'm not totally into riding again, especially when its so hot you come back sticky with sweat, but I'm certainly going to make the most of it in case we end up with a crappy summer holiday like last year.

I should also be taking Lisa and Jade out again this week or next, so keep an eye out for photos.

Show time!

Today was a beautiful day for a show although we very nearly missed our first class. There was some confusion as to whether the horses were meant to be ridden or in hand but as it turned out it could be either. ?:S

The same judge as last year was judging our ring. Typical. Just like last year, if you were standing in front in the row, you got placed first. If you were the last one in the row... you guessed it. Unfortunately Emma and I were at the back so Nell got 5th and Rocky got 6th. Rather unfair considering all the other competitors were riding their veterans.

The fancy dress was so much fun! Rocky and Emma as you can see were pirates, and I was a highwayman on my masked steed. I'm not sure what the judges problem was but I cam 4th out of 4 for that. I suspect she doesn't like haflingers, or if rumours are correct, chestnuts. She placed a little grey pony, who was an absolute mess in the family pony class higher than the palomino who was brilliant and went off on pefect leads. Rocky claimed a 2nd prize in the fancy dress though, so at least one of ours now has a ribbon in the top three.

The other two competitors was a "native american" and a little grey pony with such a jumble of stuff, I didn't know what it was meant to be... I personally thought Nell looked stunning and her behaviour was such an improvement from last year.

We did have a little trouble in the fancy dress ring when she was moved away from Rocky but backing up is certainly not the worst she could do. On the way out of the show grounds she decided Rocky should walk in front. I asked her nicely to walk on and as she continued to refuse after being nice to her, I gave her a good boot in the sides. She complained. With a large number of people and horses watching us, she threw a fit; her front feet coming up a short way then down, followed by a nice buck and then the front feet again. Broncing doesn't work on me anymore though. I know her too well, read the signs and know exactly how to ride them out. I asked her to walk forward again and reluctantly realised that going in front was far easier than having a tantrum.

Overall I have enjoyed myself today. Nell's behaviour was far more satisfying than any rossette and in my eyes she was the best horse in that ring. Rocky comes close, but I guess you're biased when they're your own. ;)

First show of the year

Despite saying I was going to do more shows with Nell this year, I have currently found myself attending my first show... in May. The year is almost halfway through and finally, tomorrow, Emma and I are entering the horses in the pony club show down at Tregurtha. Both Rocky and Nell are going in the Veteran and Fancy dress classes so its going to be good fun. Emma and Rocky are going as cornish pirates and I am the highwayman on my masked horse!

I promise to get some pictures tomorrow as the horses (and us) are going to look so funny!

Not enough of the warm stuff

So the sun has been hiding this week. Its been on and off showers and today we had 50mph winds! woop de doo! So no riding again today. I did go and de-rug the mares and chuck them some food though so not feeling quite so bad as if I don't go up there. Dad took me up there on the new bike. VERY comfy, you hardly feel any bumps. On the way back however it pissed it down and the winds suddenly picked up. For a brief moment it felt like the wind would knock the bike sideways and even on the back I could feel it pushing the bike across the road. Thankfully when you are riding pillion, you can hide behind the rider and only get partially soaked :)

Another thing I am missing is jumping. Real jumping. Not just popping a log in the woods, I want to get over some poles. The other night I had a fantastic dream that Nell and I were hunting. as we got to the first 4ft jump (yeah I can really imagine Nell jumping that high), I was scared but Nell sailed over it and after that I jumped every one feeling confident. Liz and Emma were in it as well strangely.

When I woke up I felt like I could have jumped the moon. Now though that awesome feeling of dream immortality is fading an me thinks I need to re-assess the goal of 3ft I set myself at the start of the year. Perhaps just going to a competition this year would be a start. ;) If I get that far, I'll have a go at the 2ft. Then if I'm happy with that then I may try the slightly bigger jumps. We'll see. As it is, the next R.E.C event is on 21st June - the same day as the college open day which I MUST attend.

The one after is on the 12th July. Thats a possibilty. Before that however we are taking the horses to tregurtha show for the in hand veteran and a fancy dress comp. hee hee.
I have a few ideas cooking but I shant let you know until the day!

A new Trail

Mum finally showed me the ride to Marazion beach today. It was quite chilly and very windy when we got there though. That and the fact Tralee was looking as though he was about to explode into a bucking fit meant we stayed to a trot at the fastest. Helen, Rocky's old owner also enjoyed herself so all in all a very nice ride.

Although we didn't get to have a good gallop, I now know how to get there and I'm sure Emma will love to get down there at some point this summer. :)

Finally some photos! :) but none of the ride :3

Emma and I took Nell and the Rockstar for a beach ride yesterday and as you can see from the top photo, Nell and Tralee's friendship is blossoming!

It was the nicest day we had had for a while and although Mum couldn't come along it was still a nice ride. I had planned to get some photos but like last time, didn't check the tide times.

When we got there, there was only a small stretch of beach and it was already quite crowded with people. The tide was heading out but we decided that it was best we just spend a short time there and let the pedestrians have the beach.

The first canter resulted in a bucking fit from Nell. I think she was probably protesting about how hard I had kicked her. Rocky came along behind, doing something between a trot and a canter.

The second canter, Rocky was starting to feel excited and overtook Nell and I. There was a hair-raising moment where he almost didn't stop, but Emma pulled him into the sea.

We didn't stay long, as it was not in our interest to annoy the people sitting on the rocks and staying away from the horses. A few canters, a few trots and that was us done for the day.

On the way back, after the beach farm is the two fields I have mentioned in a previous post. The grass was much longer this time but the field is certainly not being used, so once again we used it as a canter spot.

This was only the second time we had used the field, but Rocky knew where we were. One minute Nell was cantering steadily in front, and the next Rocky had flown straight past us at the gallop. I had never seen that horse move so fast!

Emma and I were both surprised at how fast and fit the Rockstar had become over the past few weeks. By the time we got back he only had a bit of sweat under his saddle, girth and mane.

We didn't get any photos on the beach but I got a few nice ones of Nell to add to my album. Oh and look! Lucy isn't a yak anymore!

Makeover Time!

Well, the day started sunny at least... but slowly got greyer and wetter. So Mum and I decided that the beach ride we had planned could wait, and istead we spent the morning prettying Nell and Lucy up. Tails, manes, legs and bottoms were all given a thorough clean and Lucy - after a good brushing - is actually looking half decent for a change. Nell allowed me to clean her udder; something she was very sensitive about not long back. It looks like its been a long time since it was last washed, if ever. She had sudocreme put on the area to get rid of the dry sore skin and her legs were washed with hibiscrub as she seems to be getting the same reaction she did last year where hair falls out and forms a few scabs. I am now certain it is something in the chicken field as that is where they were when it happened last year.

Overall, things have been quiet lately. Rocky is paid for now and officially ours, Tralee is his usual grumpy self, Lucy will hopefully be going home in June and Nell is doing what Nell does best. Eat, poop and occasionaly run around like a mad ass.

Cranky opposition

Some people don't like horses. Some people are just rude. Sometimes there are people who happen to be both.

Emma and I came across one of those the other day. We were meant to be going to the beach for an evening ride but the overcast sky dictated that we stay close to home. So we headed down the woods.

We have always ridden in that woods. Everyone does. It's often the only place for the poorer horse owner to go jumping such as myself. I can't afford to buy jumps and even if I could the sand school at Kestal is only 20ft long. It's not a big enough space to practice without crashing into the fence. I would like to just jump real fences rather than logs but hey, you get what you need not what you want.

So we had had a few good jumps already, I'd taken Nell down a drop bank to do some exploring, and Emma and I were on our way back. I normally have a favourite jumping log of mine halfway through the woods. Its small with good firm run-up and a lack of trees to run in to.

So we were minding our own business and Nell was jumping just the right way when some nosy woman with THREE snapping, barking minature snauzers comes up to us. We had pulled the horses up to avoid aggravating the dogs any further but the woman was obviously on the war path now. We were in the woods. where she was walking her dogs. And it was a "footpath". Shock.

So she asks us if we knew it was a footpath. My response... No. I didn't know. Despite the fact there is a sign outside which says footpath. I'd never noticed it and as we'd always jumped in the woods I had never paid attention much.

Anyway, she goes on to say that we shouldn't be in the woods as it was a footpath and that we should leave NOW.

Normally I apologise; explain I didn't know, then head home. After all we could come back on another day... But this woman had such a rude tone and the fact she had the cheek to say "I can't hear you" when her own dogs were making the noise, raised my hackles. I told her that we were going to finish jumping first, and then we would leave. She asked which yard we were based at. I told her that we were from Kestal and that our yard manager was also the grounds keeper for the woods. I turned away from the rude lady, and continued as though she wasn't there. Obnoxious people only deserve the same back.

She continued to complain that she had to put her dogs on the lead because of the horses. Well what do you know? If you actually trained your dogs properly they wouldn't have to go on the lead. My dog walks alongside the horses when we ride, as do many of my friends dogs. And you don't have to have a horse to teach them that barking and running at horses is unacceptable behaviour.

So after ignoring her she storms off saying that she is going to report us and so on. Well good luck to her. Not only did she have the WHOLE DAMN WOODS to walk in, we were off the main footpath so what is she going to report us for? Jumping a 1ft log in a secluded part of the woods at 6:00 evening on a wet day?

Surely there are better things to be doing with your time. How about getting those nasty dogs of yours trained? At 6:00 in the evening you don't expect to see people walking in the woods. Especially when the grey clouds roll in and it looks like its about to piss it down.

We horse riders truly are sorry that we have to use the footpaths, and roads, and beaches and woods and wherever else you don't want us to be. However, I don't see any of you doing something about it. I don't see you building bridlepaths or offering to re-turf old ones. I don't see you volunteering to trim back overgrown lanes or opposing building new roads on our bridlepaths. So perhaps before you start complaining you have a look at a map yourself. Instead of telling me to look at a map and see I'm on a footpath, you look at a map and tell me where there's a bridlepath that DOESN'T cross a footpath or road.

Edited to add: The rough speed of a horse WALKING is 3mph. Trotting is about 10mph, canter is between 17 and 28, and gallop is between 29 and 40mph depending on the horse. In other words, a horse can cover 3 miles in 1 hours ride at its slowest pace. Our rides are roughly two to three hours long equalling between 6 and 9 miles covered if we were just to walk. You try and find a cornish bridlepath that long.

Duracell pony

I think Nell has a couple of duracell batteries stuck up her ass... she is that fit at the moment. We went on an intense ride with LOTS of trotting. The first trot was exhausting... for me anyway. She was somewhat lethargic to begin with after stuffing herself all night with grass so I had to sqeeze everytime I sat. Driving her up that hill was painfully hard.

Halfway around the ride she started to perk up and the trotting was steady rather than *rise... Squeeze! rise... Squeeze!* Nor was it at the other extreme of having to stand because her trot's too fast to sit then rise to.

We had a couple of nice canters with good clear aids, resulting in a canter straight off the leg instead of the awful extension. Both canters were steady and controlled.

Overall it was an enjoyable ride but all that trotting really tired me out and I sweated buckets. As for Nell? No sweat. literally. Not under the girth, saddle or the elbows. She was as clean as when I took her out.

The weather is set for rain tomorrow but on the off chance that it is clear in the evening, Emma and I are heading down to the beach. I'll work her hard then and see - after the climb up the cliffs - if she actually sweats.

Oh and update on Rocky: He's absolutely fine. Just a pulled muscle as we suspected although after his fall he had a couple of small nosebleeds. They havn't come back since though so he's almost back to normal.

Not quite the way we planned it...

Lisa, Emma and I all got out for a ride today. Unfortunately, it doesn't always go to plan.
It wasn't the nicest of days to start with - a bit hazy and grey - but the air was warm and it wasn't raining for the moment.

When we got down to the boys field they were all sleeping, with the exception of Quids, and Rocky who was standing some distance from the rest of the herd. When Emma went to catch him it was pretty obvious he was lame. Suspecting nothing more than a pulled muscle, we decided to go ahead with the ride and it did - to some extent - loosen up.

He was happy to try overtaking Tralee, so we made the decision to press on and do Rocky Road. Trotting on the lanes was fine but the road seemed to be a bit of a struggle for the old boy so we stayed to the walk until reaching the top of Rocky road where we always start the canter.

Nell was being an ass, refusing to step up a gear into the canter, and instead extended her trot. Still; it was fast enough for the boys to get a canter behind me. As I slowed her down however, to try and stop the extension and get the canter, I heard Lisa shout my name.

I pulled Nell up to find Emma clambering to her feet. The wet ground combined with a pulled muscle has caused Rocky to slip sideways and fall. It was a bit of luck that he chucked Emma out of the stirrups as she fell and no-one was badly hurt. I felt bad in some ways that Emma had fallen off but in others relieved because she got back on and we had another canter, so her confidence is not totally in shreds. ;)
This was only her second fall in all the time she has been riding. The first time she fell was the first time she ever sat on a horse - which dumped her quite badly. To be fair she has gotten away with it so far. I normally average about one fall per year, while she has taken 4 years to fall off once. Either she is lucky, is a better rider than she thinks or she has some special magnets in her jeans...

All I can say is I'm just thankful I didn't take Jade today.
We got back in time as a wave of rain hit us. It wasn't particularly heavy but it was consistant. I was pleasantly surprised to find not a speck of sweat on Nell. She really is thriving at the moment. She is behaving wonderfully well, and seems to be establishing a relationship of sorts with Tralee. It could just be her getting broody and fruity but I would like to think they'd become friends...

Rocky was fine, although he may be a bit sore tomorrow. The poor lad hasn't had a very good day, poor bugger. Mum left him in the stable tonight with plenty of haylage as he seemed quite reluctant to go out into the rain - which I don't blame him for. We'll give him a few days off riding and see how he goes. He was never worked hard before we got him so a lack of fitness makes him more suseptable to pulled muscles. Of course we always worry about laminitis but a lack of heat in the hooves and the fact he is not overweight doesn't really scream it. We will keep an eye on it and keep you all posted on how he's doing.

Blech.

The weather has been up and down all week. One minute sunny then the next, grey and cold. Today is a grey, wet and chilly day. Certainly not riding weather.

Hopefully though, this week will be dry enough to take Jade and Lisa for a ride down to the beach. I should be riding with Liz as well and possibly do some jumping with Emma.

Peter, down at Tregurtha has leant us a homemade rope halter to try on Nell. If it works then I'll have a go at making one of my own, just thinner. She hasn't been quite so bad now that she's settled in, but the longer I leave her in the field, the harder it will be the next time I want to get her out.

The horses are back out on the fields again. It has been a long and difficult month, but now Tralee and Rocky are back in the summer field, Nell and Lucy have the whole chicken field to themselves and we have two young women who are interested in part loaning the Rockstar. Just Tralee to go, and some of our financial worries will be sorted.

To top it all off, we may have found somewhere cheaper and closer to home for Nell and Lucy to go. I can't say anything much though in case someone snaps it up before us. Everything is up for grabs at the moment and all it takes is a slip of the tongue and you've lost a field...

Salami!

I swear, I'm going to make salami out of Nell! The damn mare has now learnt that if she canters off while I'm leading her I'll let go of the rope and she can run back to the field. I was so angry with her. The sooner we give Lucy back the better it will be for both me physically, and Nell mentally.

It didn't help Lucy crawled under both electric fences then came galloping towards us. Mum took Lucy and walked her back up to the paddock, fixed the fence, hooked it up to the mains then came to look for me. By the time that was done, Nell had shoved her shoulder into me, pushed me into a field half way down the lane, took off in the canter then buggered off back in the direction of Lucy.

And people think Haflingers are all sunshine and butterflies! Huh! I would like to let anyone considering buying one know that THEY DO NOT POOP RAINBOWS! In other words, they are not all well behaved little ponies who will be perfect show ponies for your little darlings.
In fact some are just hell raisers. I can't fault Nell when I ride, in fact I had a very nice ride that same day, but every horse has their bad side. Nell's happens to be her bad ground manners.

We got from Kestal, round the lakes and back in record time - just over 1 hour. Nell was sweaty and a bit tired but not enough to lead quietly back to the field. The safest option was to lead her through the fields as I knew she would have to get through 3 gates before getting to Lucy wheras it would have been too easy for her to get back to the field if I had led her down the lane.

At the first field we got half way up before she tanked and left me standing alone. She got to the gate and unable to go through, ran around the field screaming. There was nowhere to go - neither towards Lucy or back to the stables - so I walked calmly over to the gate, pretending I was going to open it. Smart as Nell is, she fell for it and I took her rope, led her back down the field towards the barn, then turned and walked her to the next gate.

As soon as we got through the gate she surged forward. The same process as above followed for two or three times before she walked the length of the field.

At the next gate she didn't even wait for me to get through before shoving her shoulder into me and galloping to the next gate. I repeated the process. Catch, take back to previous gate, lead. By the third attempt I was getting tired of being pulled through the gateway so I tied to to it.

As I opened it, she tried again to shove past me but found herself stuck. I gave her a good whack with the end of the lead rope to let her know it was not acceptable behaviour. Eventually after much pulling and sidestepping she stood waiting, so I undid the rope and she walked on to the last gate. I tied her again, opened it up then retrieved her.

We did eventually get back to the field - both in one piece - but it took a whole hour to do it. Yesterday I practiced leading her away from Lucy, which worked fairly well with a bridle on. I have decided to get a pressure halter instead though, as I know leading her in a bit will only make her hard mouthed. The halter I want is quite thin so she should quickly get the idea that trying to pull away = discomfort. I'll be getting it as soon as possible so watch this space to see how that goes!

Spring fever!

the long dark of winter is over and I have spring fever! I can't wait to be out riding all easter and don't worry - there will be lots of photos this time!

I'm finally getting somewhere with regards to finding out Nell's real identity: I got an e-mail from the westphalian horse registry. They may have found her. The downside is it will cost me 250.00 euro - roughly £116 uk pounds at the moment. I am considering it as it will include a full investigation, dna testing and whatever else they can give me. I may wait for a while though - I have livery bills to pay over summer and I'm not in a hurry for it.

With the days warmer and drier, I will be doing some competing. There's a fun showjumping show locally coming up that I might attend and an agricultural show where I want to enter some art, photography and the dog into.

Here's a piece of my artwork that will definitely be going:

Lisa and Jade are going to be riding again this easter. I WILL HAVE PICS THIS TIME! so keep watching this space. ;)

Sitting on the fence...

Extremism is everywhere. There are always people who refuse to believe any other way is better that theirs and there are those who are utterly opposed. Sometimes it becomes a war. I realised this when I stumbled across an anti-fuglyhorseoftheday blog. And it surprised me.
I am certainly not a loyal and devout follower, although I do enjoy reading the blog, but neither am I for calling her a complete hypocrite either. The anti-fuglies bash on her mainly for her hypocritical view on her own average, nothing fancy stallion, who they think should be gelded - something Fugly has always preached. No-one there likes how her followers prey on anyone who opposes her views. For the most part both sides are well spoken, educated voices so there is no divide between their ability to dish dirt.
However someone mentioned there something about which side of the fence you choose. So which side do I stand on?
Neither. I sit on the fence.
I believe that in every walk of life, every aspect of a situation needs to be addressed. Not everything is black and white, wrong or right. If you do not tread carefully you can end up in the firing line. Saying something wrong to the wrong person at the wrong time and in the wrong place could easily leave you humiliated. If you choose a side, stay with them. Do not seek out the opposite end of the spectrum just for the bravado because you will be burned. Otherwise, if you don't want problems from either party, stay out of the way. Keep comments light if you must share your oppinion and never agree completely with either side.

In other news, Nell and Lucy were moved down to Kestel on thursday so they are all in one place now. Hip Horray!

Beaches and Banners

Spring really is here now. The daffodils are blooming, the sun is bright and the horses are losing their winter coats. Oh and up there ^ is our new banner. Lovely is it not?

So today was another beautiful day that makes living in Cornwall absolutely magical. Every colour was rich and vibrant, each green leaf sunkissed and beautiful to behold. Today I noticed everything in all it's beauty for finally the long, barren, colourless winter is over. Look through the eyes of an artist, a poet, a writer; and you will know exactly what I talk about.

A ride to the beach was in order. I normally go down once a week to school anyway but I haven't really had the energy to ride all the way down there for a while so it felt good to be down by the sea again. We had very little beach left by the time we got their but we made the most of what we had. I now have my dad's old camera which is by no means old. As you can see it takes stunning photos. Rocky quite liked the water and must have enjoyed the taste as he found a salty rock and started licking it. Nell got her feet wet but backed up the beach very quickly when the waves "chased" her. She didn't spin but it was an odd sensation having her run backwards.

We finished with a couple of nice canters although it was difficult to do with so many people on such a small amount of beach.

Keen to get home as ever, Nell charged up the slipway nearly breaking a canter to get up the steep slope. At the top of the coast and beyond the Skewers's farmTwo large fields with an opening in the hedge between them offered a fantastic spot to canter. At first Nell did her long extended trot, refusing to move up a gear but when Rocky was put in front to canter she didn't want him leading. The result was an explosive haflinger. She went from a standstill to an extended canter, surging past Rocky. They were next to one another as we passed through the narrow hedge opening - a little too close for comfort, then Nell carried on past Rocky; obviously making sure she was still boss.

I just can't get enough sunshine at the moment! We're going Rocky Road tomorrow as long as something doesn't go wrong again. Last time Nell threw up lame so I really am looking forward to going there.

Shovelling Shite

Nell is pretty much back to normal now and is charging around the field at her usual pace. Went for a ride yesterday with Emma on Lucy and she was looking great. My thighs are a bit sore - we rode bareback but still managed to poo-pick the field today with Emma's help. Everything is ready for the girls to move back to Kestel now and the paddock was completely clear of steaming mounds of dung until Nell christened it as we walked out the gate. >:(

Hopefully we will get down on to the beach tomorrow. I will take my camera and fingers crossed - remember to get some photos for an update tomorrow.

Quick update

Nell is now about 90% sound. It seems she just pulled a muscle after all and every day looks better. There was a little bit of lameness when she was chasing me up and down the fenceline this evening but by my rekoning she should be fine by next week.

Rocky made the integration into the bully boys herd yesterday evening. Rodney, Tralee, Quids and Puzzle all seem to be ignoring him for the moment although there was a small amount of fighting between Rodney(herd leader) and Rocky when Puzz was first turned out. Rocky gave Rodney a good warning with his back legs and all now seems quiet.

Nell and Lucy move down to Kestel in 2 weeks. There is still 3 weeks before the all horses are allowed back on the fields although chicken field is being used for the bully boys. Everyone else was too lazy to walk up there so we have the field to ourselves. Their loss. I know Tralee is relieved to be out of the stable.

Spring is right around the corner and the weather has been absolutely like summer. The heat is amazing and here's hoping it will stay that way until Autumn.

Lame

Went for a ride with Emma today. Nell seemed to be a little off but it wasn't until I got her trotting I realised something wasn't right. The more I watched the quicker I realised she was lame on the near fore.

We were meant to have gone for a long ride, as Tralee is in the stable with only 3 hours turnout a day, for a whole month to re-seed the fields. However half way round we turned off to Croft Gothal instead of Rocky road. I didn't want to push her.

I will give her a week of just light riding and if no improvement we will have to call out Otty to have a look at her.

On the plus side, I got some good pictures to send to the Westphalian horse association. I hope they can ID her or at least e-mail me back if they can't. I hate it when people never reply.

A note on the ecomomic crisis

As the credit crunch bites and the economy gets worse, isn't it time to start thinking about the demand for horses here in the UK? I normally leave this stuff for Fugs, but she just posted a statement from the BHS. Being a brit myself it sort of dawned on me. The things Fugs worries about over in America are spreading to our green and pleasent land.

Things are changing. A heavy fog of worry for horse owners is hanging in the air. And yet as I look around, breeders are continuing as normal.

But they shouldn't be. It erks me that people insist on bringing more horses into the world when there are so many good, family safe, ridable and even fantastic competition horses out there who have no home to go to. We have a long haul ahead of us all and even people who are just breeding a one-off foal - hold off until the economy is better. Think for a moment what would happen if money problems got worse and all you could do to keep food on the table was sell your horse. Where would it go?

A friend bought a pony for her daughter in october for £1500. Her daughter lost interest so the pony was sold. The problem being, the economy got worse. In the end she managed to sell him for £500 in January. No difference in the horse - only the economy.

If you are considering breeding this year go here. http://www.fuglyhorseoftheday.blogspot.com/
Read all the posts you have time to, and change your mind. Foals may be cute but they are expensive and there really is a poor market at the moment. If you are still unwavered, you need to be strapped to a chair and made to watch hour upon hour of slaughter videos - Because lets face it - that's reality for many horses who don't sell, and reality bites.

Loving that Spring sunshine

These past few weeks have been absolutely beautiful. Rugs have come off, the grass in shooting through and there is NO mud!

Lucy and Nell both had a leg, mane and tail wash today down at Kestel. I was on my own so it was a bit difficult getting them both down but I managed. With a rucksack on my back, and the sun on my face, I jumped astride Nell bareback with a leadrope on Lucy.

Lucy is much slower than Nell so it was a bit of a struggle dragging her behind while keeping Nell in the right direction. We made it down to Kestel in one peice though and both ponies are now cleaner. Lucy's tail which was black is now a light cream. Not quite the correct colour - but not stained with poo is a start. Nell's mane and tail are shocking white and her legs and clean. We had a bit of trouble with cracked heels but by the time we discovered the scabs they had almost healed anyway. I scrubbed them with hibiscrub just to be sure then let the girls have a good roll in the sandschool so they wouldn't get filthy rolling in the field.

The way back was a little more testing as Lucy decided it would be fun to tank up the field. The imediate thought was 'SHIT! Let go of the leadrope!' but she stopped. So I kept hold of the rope. Either my strength was enough to pull her back or she just realised Nell was not going to race her. She played up again further up the field but Nell was a gem and behaved while the 28 yr old going on 2 pranced around with the wind up her ass.

Jumping problems? solved!

Emma and I finally went for a ride yesterday after many weeks. She bought along her camcorder in the hopes of getting some video of us jumping.

It was a beautiful day and the sun was out. We warmed the horses up by riding around three gates, where we had a lovely canter along the grassy stretch. Nell's canter was rolling and steady so I made the decision to work on turning at speed and kept her going around the corner. Normally she stops at the end of the stretch or breaks down into the trot, but yesterday she was feeling well and cornered with an elegance that would make a dressage horse jealous.

When we got to the woods I tried teaching her to stand to open the gate. It took a while to get close enough but eventually she got the idea that I wanted her to stand next to the fence while I reached across to the bolt. We got most of the way and decided to let Emma finish the job. After all, I could try opening it on the way out.

The big pond in Rocky's field drains off into a river which runs through the woods. The river had flooded leaving many of the trees at the bottom half of the woods standing in water - including the jumps. We walked the horses through the deep water - another one of Nell's dislikes then headed off in search of dry land.

We found a couple of nice easy jumps with a run up that wasn't too boggy and started jumping. Nell was wonderful and I finally figured why our jumping had sucked. I had been restricting her by becoming tense and keeping my reins short and in turn she was cat-leaping because she was struggling to get her head. So I relaxed and allowed her to do the work.

And we flew. No more cat leaping. No more falling behind the movement. My confidence has gone up and I am ready for next time.

Tralee was a poppet but not quite as bothered to be jumping as usual. He took it all in his stride and jumped every one but it may have been too easy for him. After all - a 15.2 Hunter who was used to 6ft hedges need not put much effort into 1ft logs.

On the way out Nell stood close to the gate and for the first time since we bought her; I opened it without getting off.

Two problems were solved yesterday and here's hoping my jumping goal might just become a reality!

Serenity and Sunshine

Wonderful weather has blessed us the past week and I am certainly making the most of it. Emma is up in Wales with her boyfriend so it's just been me riding. In some ways I enjoy riding on my own. I don't have to make conversation unless I want to and then I can talk to Nell. I don't have to worry about other horses acting up. I can make my own decisions as to where I am going and how fast and last but not least, I don't have to trek around to meet anyone.

Yes. This week has been riding bliss. Not too hot - not too cold. In fact I've been able to go out without a fleece on! In february! When we get horrible, stormy summers and mild, rainless winters, no-one is going to tell me that's not global warming.

I will be nicking some pics off Jade and Lisa when I get back to college so expect a rundown of our ride. If I have any EMA money after Easter, I will consider buying a helmet cam. Then instead of pictures - which I always forget about - you can see movies! Yay!

Damn it!

I know I said I'd get some pictures but what dyu know; I forgot my camera! I will see if I can get some off Lisa and Jade who I know took a few snaps and then post them here.

To Jade...

Jade...

On monday you will be at my mercy. You will be going on a gruelling 3 hour ride and your legs will be burning by the end of it. Your back will ache and your buttbones will have disintegrated. You will walk like John Wayne for the rest of the week. But I will look after you. I understand beginners and will not shout. Yes, Lisa told me all about that. Rocky will carry you safely and I will teach you. You may be nervous but relax... you're coming to enjoy yourself, not to be frightened so you never want to ride with me again. ;)

Oh and that's your steed for the day - Rocky. He is being ridden by my dad in that pic who is 5'8". Good luck getting back on if you fall off. ;D

Bribery

I bought Nell a pack of liquourice the other day in the hopes of bribing her to be good. If she behaves and does what I ask her, I give her a piece. I will hopefully be using it to do some groundwork and with a little luck it will work. After all - you have to give a haflinger a reason to do something.

I'm sorry! No pictures yet again but I promise I will this week! I'm taking a couple of college mates riding so I will definately take the camera with me. Lisa, from what I have heard so far seems to be a good rider - probably about the same level or higher riding than I am. Jade is really a begginer. She says she can trot but I always expect the very least when people tell me about their ability. In other words, if you can just trot I believe you can bounce around the sandschool but most likely can't post. If you say you have cantered, I will believe that you have maybe learnt how to control a horse with basics and have had your few first short bouncy canters but not much balance. This means you set your expectations low and don't get dissapointed or frustrated. If they are better; Great!

We will be out and about on Monday as long as the weather holds out so expect pics either then or on tuesday.

From white to brown

Well, the snow dissapeared by Wednesday and as we all know snow is just frozen water. So now we are wading through its remains in the form of knee deep mud and puddles. Thankfully the top field is still dry and most mornings the girls are up there.

In other news, Rocky's fieldmate, Dubai, has been sold so he was meant to have the mares move in with him. Unfortunately most of the mares owners did not like the field having a pond in it - referring to it as a marsh - despite the fact that it was dry and had GRASS. Oh well, their loss. Now Rocky has to eat all that grass to himself. He has company in opposite fields and isn't worried about being on his own anyway so its not our loss.

Tralee is fine. No real news to report on him other than all the boys are very very hungry. He is being bought in during the day and turned out at night while Rocky is in by night and out by day.

Overall their is not much to report as the weather is far too wet and cold to ride in. Perhaps we will get a break in the weather in the next few weeks but I don't hold out much luck.

Things to do this year

I believe in making a list of things I need to improve on every now and then. It keeps me on track, gives me goals to work towards and makes my riding experience all that more enjoyable.
Here are mine:

• Ride a different horse.


• Get Nell standing quietly for mounting.


• Be able to open gates on Nell.


• Jump better. Nell cat leaps and I havn't jumped in a long time. We both need to improve our position/teqnique.


• Jump 3ft by the end of the year.


• Learn to lunge.


• Work on reinback and turn on the forehand. Not for competing; Just very useful on hacks!


• More riding without stirrups.


• Stop Nell walking ahead of me and get her to turn away from me better.

Ill add more if I can think of any and try to find a widget that I can put on the side bar. Then I can see them all year round.

Groundwork

Nell is an especially bargy mare. She is incredibly hard to turn away from you as she walks ahead of you. If you speed up to put her inside the circle she gets quicker as well. I don't know if it is a dominance issue or whether thats just what her past owners let her get away with but I need to get it under control at some point. I did a few basics like walking a straight line (very difficult when Nell is trying to pull you back to the gate), turning my back to her and changing direction when she walked ahead of me and trotting poles in hand which she was not very keen on at all. It's going to take alot of work this year and their are lots of bad habits that need breaking. We did manage a few jumps in hand though. I did have to turn the leadrope into an extra noseband to stop her shoving me around but once she did a couple of jumps she seemed to start enjoying herself and I didn't need to encourage her much after that. At the end of the seesion when Lucy came back from her ride I attempted a free jump. We have a gate that opens to the top field that consists of two wood planks that slot into metal resters(?) which can be simply slid out of the resters to open the gate or a piece of metal attached to the resters can be pushed down into grooves in the planks to lock it. I simply placed the lowest plank so it was sitting half on the rester and half on the ground. I then tempted Nell to follow me with an apple.
I ran towards the gate and she followed. I jumped over but at the last minute Nell ran out and decided it was safer in the top field than to jump that scary 1.5ft plank of wood! Not worth an apple! The second time she realised that she would have to jump it or stay up their so we tried again. I ran. she followed. I jumped and lo and behold! She followed! She ignored me and cantered straight down to Lucy, looking rather pleased with herself. I did give her the apple though. ;)

My mum has agreed to bring a fellow boarder at Kestel's horse in for her on days she can't. In return we asked if she could teach me to lunge. Its strange that in all the time I've seen people lunging down their I've never thought to ask about it. Its one of those skills that you should know but have never needed. If I can get Nell to follow me over jumps then I will but if not the lunging would be helpful. Especially as I don't think I can even get over 3 ft jumps anymore, I'm so unfit! As that is my goal for this year (ride Nell over 3ft jumps) I might just need to know how to lunge. I don't even know if Nell knows how to so that should be fun!

Vets Verdict

So the cough Nell had was thankfully not in her lungs but in her throat. The vet said she had a sore throat but gave her an atibiotic just to be on the safe side. I can still ride her which is a big relief and the next time the vet comes he said he'll check for a microchip.

I've got next week off college so I'll be getting out as much as I can but Emma will be up in Wales visiting her boyfriend so don't expect too much in the way of hacking tales or photos. I will try this week to get a photo of Nell in her purple gear as long as the weather holds out.

Cough! Cough! Cough!

Last week Nell broke into the mouldy haylage on the dung pile. Now the bloody mare has a cough. Its her own fault- we taped it off, electrified the fence, fed her in the evening and she still thought it neccesary to break in.

So now we've called the vet and he should be out to take a look tomorrow if all goes well. Lovely, another big bill to pay no doubt. Worst case scenario is mold spores in the lungs and possible irreparable damage. Best case scenario is that whatever it is can be cleared up with no further problems.

I'll let you all know tomorrow as soon as I hear.

Oh, and mum took Tralee hunting this year again. ;) He was good as gold and mum had a great time.

Winter blues

The girls enjoyed their break away from the paddock and on arrival their was frost. It might be bad for feet and legs but hard ground meant no mud. Unfortunately we didn't get snow and the weather warmed up bringing with it the thawing of the mud. On top of that it's been raining so now we're back to wading through mush.

Nell doesn't seem particularly bothered but now she's started slipping her coat. She'll be in a summer coat by February the way it's coming out. Hopefully It'll get cold again and she'll hang on to it a bit longer. They've been naughty girls though. The past two days I've found them standing, bloated in the field. Why? They keep breaking into the haylage. Nell is smarter than we give her credit for and has been knocking all the posts down now she's realised the battery for the fence has run down.

Hopefully she'll get a shock tonight though. We got new batteries. ;)

Numbers...

Useful things, numbers. We now know most of Nell's german registration number in fact. I haven't got a reply from the english letter I sent the westphalian registry so I'll have a go in german. This should be good; I haven't done german since yr 9 secondary school - thats 5 years ago!

I know enough to get the message across though and a german neighbour of mine can proof read. So far her registration number would be as follows.

either 41???9992 or 42???9992

The first two numbers represent the westphalian area. The next three numbers are her german registration number(currently unknown), the two numbers after that are her brand number and the last two is her (suspected) birth year.

Thanks to Kerstin Dreborg for the info! We are getting closer!

Have you hugged an old horse today?

It is well known that unlike antiques horses do not get more expensive with age. Many are simply put down when they can no longer cope with the things their owner wants them to do or are simply sold on. There is rarely a market for old horses, even here in the UK and it's a sad fact that many will never find that lifetime home.

Our horses will NEVER suffer that fate. Dear old Tralee turns 20 this year and is one of the few horses to pass through only a couple of homes. He was bought over from Ireland as a 4yr old and lived with the same owner for the next 14 yrs of his life. June will mark his 2nd year with us and we have no intention of ever selling him.

Although we lack much history from Nell, we suspect she has never really had a home for long. Born in Germany, she is a long way from her roots. She is a lifer though. Never again will she be hungry or unloved. Nell has many, many years of riding left in her and I intend to make the most of her lively and spirited nature for however long I have her for.

Lucy is my sister's loan pony. Being a Welsh c she is long lived and this year will turn 28. She is still ridden and although we only have her for one more year, we will miss her. Thankfully Lucy will never be far away and we will always be allowed to visit her.

We could never think of selling our older horses. They have given us so much, isn't it fair we give them a permanent home in return?

When the time comes that they are too sore to do their jobs, we will do the right thing and send them over rainbow bridge. As much as we would all like to hold onto them, it is only for our own selfishness. Once they are gone they do not hurt. Until that time we make their lives comfortable. We rug them when it's cold, give them supplements, feed them warm mashes in the winter and keep their bellies full. We stable them when the rain is too hard, and take them on walks in hand during the long summer days if they are no longer rideable.

But what in return? Friendship, trust, a safe and reliable mount. Older horses have a lot to give. They inspire confidence in us. When we take a fall, our elderlies are always there, waiting to help us feel safe again. They have funny moments like spooking at umbrella's or mobility scooters but never let us down on a busy motorway or when a massive truck rushes by. Not all veterans show their age either. Nell is 17 this year(as far as we know) and still loves to gallop and jump. If you are considering buying a horse this year, there are a lot of older horses out there, just waiting to give you their love and experience.

Happy New Year!

Yes, it's finally 2009! I hope everyone has had a good 2008; I know I did! It's hard to believe I didn't like Nell when we first bought her. But time and patience and a whole summer of riding can do a lot for a relationship and finally on the 27th October 2008, Nell was my horse. A pony I could call my own. Last year was also a big year for me in that I turned 18. Not a huge deal, as I haven't really changed but it's a milestone in my life. And of course, I got a second chance. I went back to college. I won't bore you with the details only that A-levels were not the way forwards for me. Now on an Animal course at Duchy, and finally happy, I'm hoping that this year I'll be successful. Who knows what this year will bring? For the moment I'm not looking much further than the day term starts again.

As for new years resolutions, I'm going to grab every opportunity I can and get into jumping again. I used to be quite good at it; 4ft was the biggest I'd ever done, but after a scare whilst out hacking, the maximum I do now is about 2ft. My resolution is that by the end of this year I'll be jumping at least 3ft. I would like to say more but I'd rather achieve it and change it than fail miserably!

So what's your horsey new years resolution?