Bouncing Back

Since our first test ride, Nell has been on a strict fitness regime starting right from scratch. She has been walking and trotting only to help build muscle tone and now on the 5th week she has started short spurts of canter on the flat. Keeping her weight down will also be incredibly important in order to keep her sound from now on as the less weight she has to put on her tendon the better. She works in brushing boots all the time now to help support the leg and is doing lots of roadwork to harden her tendons and hooves. 3 rides a week is the minimum she must do so I have to make an effort even if its raining to get off my butt and ride her out. I am hoping to lose a bit of weight this year as well to ensure she isn't struggling. As long as everything goes to plan I will be starting a job in the chicken house up at Kestal which will require cycling up there and back every day. Extending that by going home the long way should shift some excess weight and increase my fitness. After all I shouldn't expect Nell to get fit and be sound while compensating for an unfit rider. All being well, I hope to get a project horse this year. There is still a lot to do however and for as much as we manage to finish, something new is always around the corner to send us back to square one. That's horses I guess...

Feeling better

I took Nell out for the first time in a month today. Tony the farrier had ordered I give her field rest as he had also picked up on the inflamed tendon and said to give her a few weeks off and today I decided to try her on a gentle hack around three gates. Or at least it was meant to be gentle. She was fresh and bouncy so we actually did a lot more than I thought she'd want to and I had to fight her to stand still or slow down on several occasions. She is short stepping ever so slightly in the walk and trot but her head set is level and sound. She may always have a slight issue with that leg but thats old horses through and through. I have also made the hard decision to stop jumping her. Popping a log occasionally on a hack won't hurt but I won't be taking her into the mini jump classes like I had planned. She loves to jump and so do I but for her own good it won't be a regular occurance anymore.

In other news, Rocky was ill before Christmas with an abcess under his jaw. It wasn't strangles although the location was suspect and the vet gave him some antibiotics to perk him up. He's much better and it's mostly healed so he also went out today. He has a pelham and double rein now and his downward transitions are already looking better now that he is unable to evade the bit.

Disheartened

Nell has been lame on and off for the past year. She gets a little lame, it gets better, she's sound, she goes lame again, she's footsore, she's not tracking up, she's full of energy and eager to go, she's sound, she's lame again... I knew when I bought an older horse we would experience a few issues but for the first year I had her she was 100% sound. Last summer she suffered a tendon injury. The vet didn't pick up on it when she was lame and we only found out by the time the scar tissue had formed a bump on the back of her foreleg. Now I think our jumping career is over before it's begun. At first I thought it was being stabled that was triggering the lameness but now it seems to be after any jumping. She was sound so I tried her over a couple of small jumps after hacking yesterday and today she was sore again. There's no way we could afford any treatment and probably can't justify it. I can't afford another horse and selling Nell is out of the question. It just seems so unfair when I was just getting my confidence back and Nell was improving. I can still hack her to my heart's content but with so little soft ground and Nell's intolerance to the hard, I wonder just how much fun I will be left with when I'm wondering if she's hurting. So I'm feeling down and a just a little bit lost at the moment...

Deadly Equine disease in Cornwall

Horse owners everywhere, including ourselves are starting to panic over an outbreak of Atypical Myopathy here in Cornwall. 12 horses have died so far including 1 from the Daniel's Morgan stud (the other survived but is said to have lasting problems) and Gemma's Jasper. Poor Gemma has lost two horses in just over a year of each other. First Lucy Loo and now Jasper which really came as a shock as I had been for a ride with them only two weeks prior to his death. He was an endurance horse and was increadibly fit and healthy so his death was very unexpected. Our thoughts are with Gemma during this heartbreaking time.

The disease is thought to be caused by toxic fungal spores and is at it's worst after heavy rainfall and has some links to horses fielded in areas densely populated with trees. The symptoms include varying degrees of stiffness and dark coloured urine and unfortunately, as of yet, the only treatment involves anti-inflammitories and drips which still has a very poor prognosis. Preventative measures are to stable after and during heavy rain and to rotate to a paddock where there are fewer trees if possible. Supplementary feeding of hay and grain feed will prevent foraging on the ground and the possible consumption of leaves or plants containing the fungus.

There is no telling where it might happen next and is not considered contagious so isolation is not effective. We are all hoping for a long dry spell or heavy frost in order to kill the spores.

Winter is coming!

Yup, its that time of the year again when the wellies come out and the rugs are thrown on. We have had a mild October so far with some days reach 20 Celcius so the horses are fine in lightweights on wet days and growing hair on the cool dry ones.
We have started preparing the fields and stocking up on hay and got the waterproofing tested last week when we had a night of torrential rain. As it is, Nell will not be able to use her stable until the roofing is fixed - it was like a slushy straw pit after just one day. Thankfully we are swapping 10+ bags of horse crap for a roof repair from one of mum's gardener friends so that at least will be one less thing to worry about. The stable doors were an excellent investment and (with a little engine oil for bad taste) have withstood Nell's crib biting. The next thing on the list is to get the wooden stakes bedded in, insulators fitted and electric rope done so that the fields can be segmented without fear of Tralee breaking it all down when he's bored.

Project pony wanted!

The Joe Moyle's Sale is an annual event to pick up bargain basement ponies and horses. Most are youngstock, hairy cobs or trotter types, some with issues, others pregnant, others with foals at foot. Colts there are often ungelded and a few are truly wild. But we went to the sale because of the garuantee of a cheap deal.

Peter from Tregurtha was taking the lorry and I was allowed to come along on the condition that I shut my mouth and listened to him if he said a horse wasn't worth it. That's peter all over. He was there to sell a kitten, chickens and various bits and bobs that accumulate around livery yards like old bikes and hutches.

There were a couple of high quality horses there; in specific a huge leopard appaloosa stallion and a fresian stallion as well, both of which were just being advertised rathter than sold. Then their was the dun gelding in the barn who was also very nice. He was a real dun with a dorsal stripe and a lovely honest face. The other horses were not so correct conformationally but a few still worthy of catching my eye. The first was a 3 yr old pinto but on closer inspection it appeared to have a cataract and the girl selling it put me off completely when she bulldozed through the crowd shouting and waving her arms around at it for no reason. There was a small haffie mare with a foal a crossbred foal at foot and possibly pregnant again. another possibly pregnant 2yr old coloured cob caught my eye but we didn't really want anything that may or may not surprise us with a foal. There was a black 2yr old filly cob who although hairy and a bit ugly would have been ideal if it weren't for the price tag of £850. As it was I only took £300 with me. There was a pretty clydesdale bay sabino mare of 13yrs but she was too old for what I wanted. We nearly bought a 3yr old coloured filly to make 14hh but Peter said £275 was too much for such a small horse so we left her.

So we are still searching. We heard a rumour that Penhalwyn are selling youngstock off very cheaply so we might go have a look there. Stay tuned, I may be back soon with my first youngster!

The UK wouldn't accept this, Why does the USA?

Now, I usually don't do posts like this but after watching several videos and reading many blog entries I feel I need to express something that disgusts me. The treatment of Tenessee Walking horses in padded shows. For those who don't know this is the TWH natural fith gait - the running walk. As you can see its a movement where the front and back legs on one side move together rather than the opposite front and back as in the trot. Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVyFST01Tiw&feature=related

Even this foal exhibits the lovely gait at just a few days old.

And this is the monstrosity that the USA have turned these horses into.

That stupidly exaggerated foreleg movement, tail set, sunken hocks and pained expression are all results of sticking huge weighted pads on these horses hooves, shoving great long shank bits in their mouths, setting their tail bones into a tight loop and putting chemicals on the legs that burn the horses to make them lift those forelegs up, up, up! Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuqN9n4RF4Y&feature=related ....Seriously, I don't know any respectable people who break horses at 2yrs, let alone bend them into such freakish shapes. And if you need yet more proof that these horses are indeed abused to make them do that here you go!

That horse is just screaming pain. And yet no one seems to be paying attention or caring for that matter. If I saw a horse standing like that I'd assume its pedal bones had dropped and it needed euthanising. What I want to know America, is why you have allowed this to go on and accept it - even give prizes for it? The cruelest sport you see here in the UK is fox hunting and thats even been banned now so what makes your country so special that you can blatently abuse horses in plain view? Seriously, this crap is what makes every Brit think you are all a buch of inbred fucktards. Now, I have met a couple of very nice americans but after all, they are the ones who came over here because they couldn't stand the crap you guys pull over there. And as for the Humane Societies involved, they are all a bunch of cowards. They have powers many people can only dream of and they have done nothing to stamp out something the the horse world has been crying out to see abolished. Flat shod horses rule. Padded horses should never have come into existance and the longer it has been left the bigger those shoes are and the more acceptable abusing those horses has become. If I took a horse to a show looking like that, I would be savaged by angry horse lovers. Perhaps that is the difference here. People in the UK who have horses actually LOVE them. I guess horses in the USA are just a business (which might I add, isn't going exactly swimingly either considering the prices their horses sell for at auction). For those who see eye to eye with me, their are several blogs who are highly informative on subjects like this. I warn you now that most are blunt and straight to the point and unless you agree with the writer, keep comments to yourself unless you like being torn apart or looking for a fight. Please take a good look at the wider world around you. We have a voice and we can use it. I hope to see the end of padded horses during my lifetime.

http://forthetnwalkinghorse.blogspot.com/

http://shameinthehorseshowring.blogspot.com/2008/07/walking-horse-people-are-at-is-again.html

http://fuglyblog.com

Financially Stable?

Well, things have been quiet lately. The horses are all going out on part loan to help pay for the supplies we need before winter get here again. Tralee has already got someone to loan him who is a good rider but has lost confidence. She has been riding without fail in all weather so we are hoping she will be an all-year loaner. Considering she was paying nearly £30 for a private lesson and travel costs per week she has saved herself a considerable amount of money as we are only asking £10 per week which should cover his shoes at the end of 6 weeks + a bit of hay money.
There are lots of things to be done and I seem not to find the time to ride much lately so it is just as well that even Nell will be put on part loan so that she is still getting the exercise. I am reluctant to let anyone else ride her but struggling financially is not an option and Mum and I have already decided that we would rather shoot the horses than sell them to someone who may not treat them properly. Grim discussion aside, the weather has been mild albeit dull and overcast and thanks to the school which my mum cleans chucking out an old goal post, I have some new jump poles. Strangely the interlocked poles are the perfect size for jumping and I have enough for the 5 pairs of jump wings that my Uncle is making for me soon, depending of course on how much he's going to charge me.
Nell is still suffering with her skin - her legs are still itchy and she now has sweetitch on her mane where she has been badly bitten. She had little bite absesses all the way up her central parting which we burst, applied sporal-D and TCP and have lagged her mane in aloe vera and aqueous BP to condition the roots and sooth the itching. The injection of ivermectin for feather mites has had no effect on her itchy legs and cost us an arm and a leg but at least they are all completely parasite free!
I'm hoping to update the banner as well a bit so expect some new pictures up there.

Just a little lazy

Yeah, So its summer. I've been lazy about riding and the sticky hot weather does not help. Tonight however I am a free woman, as College is finally finished! I'll be sad to leave many wonderful tutors and fellow students behind but I now have some very firm friends for life who I will certainly make an effort to catch up with regularly. Lisa will come riding with me as well as taking our pet rat passion to the market, Kathryn is interested in trying to ride and lives just up the road and as for Emma, well shes family, so I'm stuck with her.

Tuesday evening was a lovely day for the beach so Lisa and I headed down for a nice ride. The water looked lovely and cool and I got Nell in further than I ever have before. I might even get her to swim with me someday. Mum and I will be speaking to Chris Cook this week about training Nell to pull a trap, which is going to be my big summer project.

This autumn we are also hoping to hitch a ride up to the Joe Moyle's sale with the Tregurtha lot and have a good look around. Who knows - we may bring something home if I can find another job to support an extra beastie. I have been planning for a while to get a quiet youngster as a first breaking project. Something hairy, a bit lazy and about the age of 3 but unbroken. The plan is to break it in then ride it out for 6 months to hopefully make a profit - although the experience is always good even if I never make any money!

Helen's friend has a haflinger stud colt who should be ready for breeding by next spring. providing I can get Nell down to a fair weight I am hoping to breed her at the beggining of summer, ride and drive her for a few months then turn her away for the winter, during which I might fit in a breaking project youngster. It would definately be a keeper, either to replace Tralee, when he gets too sore, if it's a colt or as something with a bit more go for myself if it's a filly. Even Helen said that our old horses won't last forever and that if I am going to have one last foal from Nell it better be soon. after all she will be 19 next year although she could be older. You'd never know it though looking at her! I know the Westfalen Haflinger Association have her on record somewhere because her brand number is unique to her, but as most people will they are trying to weedle more money out of me (250 euro to be precise) for a full DNA test that she should not need! It would be helpful if I could get her information that would allow her foal to be registered, but if I can't then its not going to be sold anyway so it doesn't really matter to me if I know its pure. Anyway though, that's a long time off so I shan't think about it too much or get my hopes up. I'm just going to look to the near future first and work on getting her in a trap and driving.

Jump up

Nell might be a bit fat at the moment but it has hardly hindered her jump. In fact we are jumping roughly 1 1/2 foot with no effort at all. I'm actually holding back more than she is because I haven't had the confidence to jump as big as I used to - but we are both gaining trust in each other and jumping bigger and better.


Got a bit close to me in an attempt to run out - but still jumped the stick we placed there to prevent her running out instead!


A real long shot here but such fabulous form! She did one of these jumps with me on top the other day and almost threw me out the seat. Thankfully a substantial neck with plenty of mane helped me stay aboard that one. With her jumping like this you I feel confident we can do a few small shows this year.

Due to a tendon strain last summer I'm wary about how high I jump her but she seems to be clearing them with plenty of room to spare and no signs of it playing up.

You can see here that she really is enjoying herself! Last years action photos had a lot of ear pinning and threats to kick - this year is so much different! I really think she has bonded better with me now and feels happier to work for me. There wasn't a single pinned ear in any photo. On the downside I think the camera on my phone is getting worse. Ah well, you can't win them all.

Spring has sprung

It seems like months since I last blogged... Oh wait, it has. Yes, my internet connection is an ass and yes my computer is as slow as an octogenarian tourist but yes! I have photos!


Backtracking to snow in January...





A bit of jumping in February...




And our first beach ride of the year in March...

So the current news is that the horses are FAT. Rocky isn't too bad but could lose a bit of fat and gain some muscle instead. Tralee is about 30Kg overweight and Nell is about 70Kg overweight. Fun. She was about 100Kg overweight a few weeks ago when we started so we are getting there slowly. We rode around Perran Downs yesterday at a steady trot almost all the way and completed our ride in just 45 mins. There is so much going on I'm going to have to do several posts to cover them all but right now my current target is to get Nell back down to a healthy 450Kg in time for summer.

Still alive

Not much happening at the moment. Thankfully we havn't had another incident of horses being let out so things have been pretty drama-less. So umm... yeah. This was just really to let people know that I havn't yet been eaten by horses.

So much to write... So little time!

So my internet connection has been down and of course I've also been on christmas holiday so haven't had access to a computer. As it is I'm hurriedly typing this on my Dad's computer before he gets back...

Anyway. Emma and I took Nell and Tralee on the tinsel ride where they were totally chilled until all the other horses started leaving the arena in their groups. We left at a trot and ended up prancing almost all the way around the ride. We caught up with the group in front of us and stayed pretty close behind all the way back to Laura Janes. We suspected we had completed it a bit too quickly when we only got a "Special" consolation rossette. I'm not complaining too much; it was a fun day and I got a purple rossette. :)

Before the onset of snow, we went on the mock hunt - more or less a very fast ride with lots of horses and no hounds. Tralee was kicking out and trying to back up into people at the meet in the barn while Rocky and Nell stood quietly, occasionally pulling at the hay nets tregurtha had strung up. For most of the ride Tralee pranced, Rocky rushed around with his head in the air and running ponies over while Nell positioned herself at the back of the pack behind Tralee and stayed there all the way. The rein was long and she responded gently to everything. We turned back a bit early as Nell was showing signs of getting sore and Rocky was starting to stumble. A pasty at he end of it all was the icing on the cake.

Then of course we had snow! And lots of it at that. It has only just recently dissapeared witht the downpour of rain and I finally made it out on a ride today. Nell was absolutely full of it and we trotted most of the way around.

We also had an incident this week where someone entered the stables during the night. The had obviously been in with Rocky as his kick bar was up and the clip removed and had also been in with Tralee. To make things worse they had left Tralee's chain off so he got into the tie up area and didn't bolt the tie area door. Thankfully they put the rope over and Tralee didn't try to fiddle with it but I just cannot believe someone would be that disrespectful to enter our private property and tamper with animals that don't belong to them. It was most likely some silly kid who thought they were a horse whisperer but knows jack s**t about horses, but we worry it could have been someone who intended to hurt them. We are putting some signs up in the hopes that they will be smart enough to take the dvice and if not then we will have to take further action... Here's hoping its a once only time and either Tralee or Nell left a mark of warning on them.

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!