Interesting is an understatement

So we decided to ride today while the weather was mild and it was a learning curve to say the least. Kel protested to standing still on the yard with a little buck - a first. He was pretty wired most of the way along the roads and irritating Tralee in front despite fighting with him to not bite the old boy on the backside. Thankfully Tralee is very tolerant of Kel and didn't even bat an eyelid.
Well we had already made up our minds about having a first canter before he really gets his feet so today was the big day. He was definately ready for it and rather desperate to just go. We jumped a puddle on the way into the field (I still feel bad about jabbing him in the mouth when I got left behind the movement) and after a few seconds of just walking to keep him settled, asked for a trot and then canter. He was unfazed by my bumping in the saddle at first (gosh that's a wake-up call my legs are unfit to stand at canter) then as he evened his pace out I managed to take up a decent position and get off his back. He slowed up nicely which was better than expected.
Then the problems started. He wanted to keep trotting. He's feeling fresh and abit fizzy at the moment which I think is related to being on haylage despite Peter saying it wouldn't make him hot. He was prancing and refusing to quiet down by evading the bit. So we turned downhill in the second field over, waiting for him to chill out. I left Mum and Tralee standing in the middle while I attempted to walk him up and down to get him listening again.
Kel was having none of it. Evaded the bit, ignored the outside leg and refused to go forwards. He put in a little rear which was easy to sit to thanks to my forward seat (Its the bucks that get me). Then when he did stand quiet and I turned him back towards Tralee the trotting started again so hauling him to the right, I tried to ask him to walk quietly again. After digging his feet in and refusing to budge, I used the old trick of slapping the end of the rein on the shoulder to get him moving. After a couple of slaps he rushed forward and sideways, very nearly unseating me. I felt the air beneath my butt before a handful of rein, mane and a solid leg on the opposite side got me seated back in the saddle.
After the tantrum, I did finally get my way though and he walked back up the field and for the majority of the way home -Not tired but defeated in this battle at least.
So we're cutting down on the haylage and this week I'm going to start his schooling education - particularly in regards to stopping and turning when asked. This has been just a taster but Kel is a smart boy. I hope he realises that after trying and failing to get me off, he's better off just listening first time. We shall see.

Mares and Geldings

I wanted to post my opinion on something I have a good deal of experience with; keeping mares and geldings together.
First things first - it can be done. We've had our horses in mixed herds for years now with the only exception being for a couple of years at Kestel where we had an all boy's herd.
Secondly, there is an old myth that says if you have a mixed herd, geldings should never outnumber mares. Perhaps in large and frequently changing groups this may ring true but from personal experience we know that several geldings can get along just fine with fewer mares.
We have 3 geldings and 1 mare all living quite contentedly in the same field. This is because a horse's social heirachy dictates there to be 1 lead stallion in the herd and lower ranking stallions that are tolerated as long as they don't try to dominate or mate with the lead's mares.
With geldings, this is taken to a greater degree because the lack of testosterone allows them to also form bonds with other geldings without constantly thinking about rivalry.
That's not to say geldings don't also think about sex because anyone who has owned one will know they still get aroused and that many will also mount other horses - mares and geldings alike. They are just generally less inclined to be so high strung over it.
Our herd has Tralee sitting pretty at the top as herd leader. He used to regularly mount Nell but has recently lost most of his libido. He used to be quite rough but has become more chilled since Kel arrived, allowing the youngster to do most of the work for him. Kel has pushed Rocky out of the second in command spot and has tried it on with Nell but that may be more coltish behaviour than rigginess. They have quite a tight bond now and Tralee is most of the time, willing to allow that. Kel is still very young and not much of a threat to the leader and is therefore tolerated like a young colt. Rocky is less liked by Kel but still ranks third because he acts more dominant towards Nell. He has never shown any inclination towards mares so is never a threat to Tralee. He is mostly on the outskirts of the herd and less bonded to the others but still important in the herd dynamics. He has the role of a submissive stallion who is usually lower than the higher ranking mares. Nell sits at the bottom of the pecking order but is now more protected by Kel, making the whole group calmer and happier. She has been subordinate in all herds she's ever been placed in and is probably happiest like this. She takes the role of the lowest ranking mare - a follower not lead.

On another note on the general day to day life at the stables, Kel and Nell are sharing a stable. The tie up area is just too wet to be used so they're now official bunk buddies.

Diets and Hacking

I know I said I'd post pictures of Kel's first ride but my god, I hate how I look in them. It was a bit of a "come to jesus" moment and while I know it was not a flattering jumper, I still feel I looked fat in those photos. So for the past two weeks I've been on the no junk food diet and esentially cutting out all the rubbish to drop a few pounds. While I don't look it most of the time, on my heaviest days I weigh up to 11 stone 10. For my height (5ft 5"), I should really be about 10 and half stone maximum. After two weeks I weighed in at 11 stone 1 so it seems to be working. I'm excited by the prospect of seeing myself back in the 10 range and I already feel a bit better in myself.

Back on the topic of horses; Kel went for his first full hack around the roads on friday in company. He was quiet and rather well behaved although lost concentration near the end and was trying to bite Tralee and play with him. The following Saturday we upped the ante and took all four horses out. Kel was unfazed and very good up until a point where we came across a huge German Shepard in a field by the road. He stopped, thought about spinning, went forwards at a trot then partially bolted past before coming to a standstill when he realised none of the others were following. It wasn't naughtiness but genuine fear so I give him credit for stopping and going back to look afterwards. He's only in a little eggbutt snaffle at the moment and I managed to stop him in that so I'm hoping he won't need anything stronger.

Ride number 4 and we're ready to hack

Ride 1: Sitting and being led.
Ride 2: Walking in the round pen on the lunge.
Ride 3: Walking and some sitting trot in the round pen on lunge.
Ride 4: First ride up to the farm and back.

I think this is pretty good proof of just what a willing little horse Kel is going to be. I've been long reining for a long time now so the steering and brakes are all in good order. Getting him to move off the leg is the next phase as he has a habit of shutting down when leg is applied. I shall let you all know how that progresses.

The weather was absolutely trashy as well so it was certainly a test of his metal. It tipped it down and was dark by the time we set out. Mum accidentally pulled the bit off the side of his bridle when she tried leading him off Tralee so I dismounted, stuck the bit back in, went back, got back on and set off again without the use of the leadrope which I surprisingly felt safer with. Mum really wanted the rope on but then she also later told me that she had been shaking, watching me get on him. I think it's harder for her than it is for me which is understandable.
It wasn't a long ride at all - 10 minutes or so - but for his 4th ride I'm very proud.

It's not all plain sailing though. Kel decided a few days ago that he was not going to stay in the field with Rocky while Nell and Tralee went for a ride. So he jumped the hedge and the 4 and a half foot post and rail fence at the top and flew right over into the round field. Thankfully he caught easily and I stuck him behind the electric fencing without incident but he's certainly going to be quite the athletic little jumper when he's older.

Kel's backed

Well its been a long month of saddling, lunging and long reining. Kel is slowly becoming less fidgety and a little more patient - a good sign he is making the transition from baby to adult horse. His croup has risen and we're expecting another inch of growth in the next few months. He's roughly 15hh at the moment so he's going to be at least 15.1hh by the time he leaves us and perhaps 15.2hh at the most when he's finished growing. We only expected another inch but from past experience with cobs we know they usually don't really finish growing until they're about 7 or 8.
By all accounts he could have been backed a little earlier but a combination of bad weather, me being lazy and being introduced to NationalNovelWritingMonth (NaNoWriMo), I'm just a week or so behind schedule.
No matter though because he was backed this morning. After an absolute fiasco two days ago involving long reining, scary pigs and Kel bolting I wasn't wholly sure that he was ready. I walked him down past the pigs today and while he was indeed terrified, we got past them without incident. Then Peter got me on board and Kel walked around that yard like he'd done it every day of his life(Pics to come later). So a nice bottle of whisky for Peter for helping me out is in order.
Next stage will be riding on the lunge line then the round pen without a lead and then I'll set up a schooling boundary. I give it three weeks until I'm starting to school him and perhaps even his first hack in company.
Already he's tripled in worth and I could easily sell him now for £1200. But I'm in it for the long run and I won't be selling until he's had a good solid few months riding on him, has jumped a little and has seen his first show. I'm expecting about £2000 for him by the end of it, if not more considering he's such a showy boy.
Anyway, pictures will be following soon and I'll try to update you all a little more often.

Kel is doing very well and has settled quickly. In the course of three weeks he:

• No longer wears a halter in the field


• Comes to be caught in the field


• Catches and leads much better


• Has been groomed all over


• Lifts all four feet


• Has been bitted and bridled


• Has had a bath (very scared of water currently)


• Has been stabled for the first time


• Has been rugged for the first time


• Ties


• Has seen the farrier and been wormed


• Has had tetanus shots and microchipping


• Has been lunged


• Has been taken for a mile long walk in hand


• Has had a bareback pad put on and the girth done up

He is brave, genuine and smart and I predict he will be ready to back by November. He's still a bit fussy with his head and likes to chuck it all over the place but he is getting there. He has also been in the field with Nell who flirted something terrible. He was glad of the company although he was a bit confused by Nell's behaviour. We've decided to keep the groups separated to avoid any injuries and unneccesary vet bills which may eat into my profit. He is kept right next to them and stabled with them and we are also fine with he and Nell going in together when Tralee is not around.

Big steps forward

Kel was stabled for the first time today in his life. Whe first confronted with the small, dark box he followed me in while shaking like a leaf. Within a few minutes though and with a haynet and likit up to keep him busy, he chilled out. It was also the first time outside of the field since tuesday. He doesn't like puddles and he leads pretty badly. He's very strong, walks very close and is quite fidgity with his head - its all over the place. On the plus side, despite being totally overwhelmed and scared of everything, he kept moving forwards. No balking, no spinning. He even took the lead which was surprisingly easier that trying to keep him behind Nell or Rocky. He stood on my foot once when trying to dodge a puddle and once sidestepping in the stable, both through no fault of his own but I have my first youngster related injury now.
He had his first grooming session with me today so he's looking a little more presentable (with the benefits of added handling and bonding) and we tested his ability to pick up front feet which wasn't too bad after a bit of encouragement. Tomorrow we test his ability to tie and back feet. He accepts me grooming his back legs so I'm not expecting too many issues - although its always best to keep an air of caution around green horses just in case. So far he is turning out to be a decent little chap and although very inexperienced and nervous, is soldiering through it all. Despite the lack of confidence I think he'll be quite brave when confronted with the unknown. The signs are promising so far.

Celtic Flame

Told you he's a pretty boy! I'm going to passport him as an appaloosa x cob. He's got quite heavy bone but his fairly sparse tail indicates that appaloosa breeding was fairly close up on his pedigree so that's the cross I expect. I'd describe him as lightweight as he hasn't got the standard, short legs of a cob. The rest of him is quite well put together. His neck is a bit short but that's not really going to have much of an effect on his way of going under saddle. He's a nice straight mover and he has a big trot for a small horse. We shall see though. First things first will be to find out what he does and doesn't do.

The Project starts...

Finally, I have a project horse. He was an absolute bargain at just £400 although I've let myself in for something more than I originally intended.

So he's called Celtic. Or Kel. And we're passporting him as Celtic Flame.
He is a lovely 15hh, 5yr old bay appaloosa x cob. And he's a tad feral... He's insecure and I've certainly chosen a good one for my first breaking project. But he seems good natured enough. He's very nervous. They people who had him before did sweet FA with him from what I can tell and he's been nothing more than a spoiled field pet. He's never really seen anything and was fairly difficult to lead when we bought him back so there is going to have to be a major refresher course on manners and personal space. I havn't much time to blog tonight but I'll get a picture up soon. His conformation is pretty good and he moves nicely so somewhere along the line he should be a nice riding horse. For now though slowly does it.

A more natural way

Nell's boots arrived but turns out they were too big. Having ordered two pairs of size 6, I tried them on her and had to send them back for a pair of size 5 and a pair of size 4. The new ones fit much better and she wore them for the first time in the field. Friday evening was the first maiden ride with them on and they worked briliantly. She has a memory of being footsore so hesitated before she got to rocky ground then stepped out to discover nothing hurt. They do look oversized on her large hooves with her skinny legs but as long as she's happy I'm happy. The next horse I have (if good fortune allows) will certainly be barefoot from the start.

So onto a related topic... How natural can you keep a horse? Well barefoot is a start but with the world being increasingly paved with un-natural substances it isn't always possible. But thats what hoof boots are made for. A quality boot lasts 6x longer on average than shoes. Yes, you must still trim and file but depending on your farrier's prices this may still work out a lot cheaper. Tony charges £50 for a set of shoes but he's an old farrier and coming up to retirement and we are doubtful that we will find another farrier that charges so cheaply. The local farriery company charges £75 for a set of standard shoes and a rediculous £90 for a horse of Rocky's size! Boots are certainly cheaper than that.

Turnout of course is essential to natural horses. Rugging is not being weak. I think even wild horses appreciate shelter from wind and rain and unless your horse is a mustang or a very hairy british native there is no reason to deprive your horse of a rug. Bringing your horse into a stable or shelter is also preferrable for most horses when the weather is foul. Stabling them all the time with only a little turnout is not natural though. It leads to steriotypical behaviour and hyperactivity when you come to work them. If lots of turnout is not possible at your yard you should either think about moving or ensure your horse is being thoroughly exercised when it is allowed out. Work them thoroughly once a day or a couple of times a day if possible. If you have a whole day free, make it worth both your whiles and go out for the day. Pack up a lunch and go for a long walk together. Allowing your horse to eat from the hedge or when you stop won't hurt either as they are designed to forage on the move.

Bits, bridles, saddles, martingales, tie downs, boots... Nothing is natural about them. It's not plausable to ask everyone to ride bareback and bridleless though and in most of the UK it is illegal to ride a horse on the road without a bit. That doesn't mean you need a huge contraption in it's mouth with draw reins and various other *magik kool aid* gear on your horse. All our horses are in a pelham. Tralee has been in a pelham since he started hunting and it feels comfy in his mouth. We did have him in a snaffle for a while but he spent a lot of time champing it and tossing his head so we put him back in his pelham which he goes softly in. Rocky started in a jointed snaffle which just banged the roof of his mouth causing him to lift his head at every downward transition. We got him a thick half-twist straight bar snaffle which he went better in but still had a habit of tanking in when he got panicked. He was changed to a pelham which not only gives emma some brakes if he has a spacky moment but is starting to produce quite a different outline in him. Nell was in a pelham when we bought her and was rather hard-mouthed. She is still in her pelham so I have stopping power if I need it but because she is neck reined the effect is nicer in her mouth than any jointed bit. The moral of this is that something is only as harsh as you make it and that small changes can make a difference in time. Horses live a long time so there is no point trying to rush them with gimick training aids.

As well as minimal gear you should be riding with minimal movement. Don't crank on your horses' face or flump around in the saddle. Get some lessons or if you can't afford them, try mucking out for some or ask a friend who can ride well to give you some tips. If you choose the latter though take their word with a pinch of salt. Not everyone who can ride well does so with respect for their horses well being. Riding bareback is a fantastic way to improve balance. If you are hard handed or are balancing on your horse's mouth you need to have your reins taken away. Either have someone lunge you on a reliable horse or slowly increase the length of your rein every time you ride so you are not so reliant on the horse to balance. I have been teaching my friend Kathryn to ride and the first thing I told her was not to balance on Rocky's mouth. I said she could use the pommel or even a handful of mane but the rule was that the rein should always have some slack in it.

I am by no means perfect - no one is - but I intend to improve for my horses' benefit. I have very soft hands to a fault where my instructor used to dispair of my long reins despite the mare going well for me. My seat needs to improve though and my forward posture gives me a bad back nearly every ride. I need to improve my balance bareback and because no horse should have to put up with a heavy, unfit rider, I must get in better shape. No one is perfect but for your horse's benefit you should try to be as close to it as possible.

It's official...

Nell is barefoot. Tony came out last week and pulled her shoes as I've finally got enough money for a set of Cavallo simple boots. Not only will this save me money in the long run (good thing seeing my work hours have been docked), but it will hopefully stop her being so footsore over harder terrain. She'll be ridden barefoot when we do roadwork but off road will be made much more comfortable with her soles and frogs covered by the boots. She was fine immediately after the removal but incredibly footy the next day. I read that it may be due to an increase in circulation or the numbing effect from shoes wearing off. Other people have assured us its completely normal and within a few days she was feeling better and had her first ride in the field barefoot yesterday.

Tralee is getting a bit like an old man whose had too many beers. He's not fat as such, but he definately needs more muscle definition to stop his belly hanging. I've been riding him a lot lately as mum hasn't had the time. I am hoping that I can use him for a little jumping this summer now that the ringbone has near enough fused. We tested him over a single jump yesterday and changed it between a crosspole, parallel and fake ditch to see what needs working on. I havn't tried a spread or oxer yet because its been several months since he or I have jumped. I was a little nervous seeing as Nell was my usual jumping horse up until a few months back. Tralee is much narrower and there's a lot less to hang onto when he refuses or prats about. He was being a bit silly by cantering instead of trotting and trying to stop halfway over a jump (a bad habit his Loan rider got him into) but I was comfortable enough getting back on him. Like a favourite old seat that you'd forgotten about then sat on again on a whim.

So much to do, so little time...

Well in the ebb and flow of daily goings on, money is yet again becoming an issue. We almost faced the tough choice of selling Rocky last month but thankfully Emma has stepped up to the plate and is loaning him to take some of the financial strain off. My new job in the chicken house is going fine although the cash seems to be going out just as fast as it goes it and I really could do with some extra hours. I'm saving up for a set of Cavallo Simple boots for Nell with the hope of saving a bit of money from shoeing as well as making her more comfortable of hard ground which has always been a problem for her. I have heard being barefoot with boots can also help ease tendon issues by changing the way pressure is distributed but I'm not holding out too much on that front in case my hopes are dashed. She's been lame on and off again all month with very little indication as to what is triggering it. I really don't know what to do about it anymore and it seems that I will just have to work around how she is feeling on any one day. Retirement is not really an option for a good-doer like her and while I wouldn't mind not being able to ride, I rekon she would easily start to get bored and cause problems on the ground. She can still walk soundly so for as long as her back is still good and she has the interest I'll carry on riding her - even if we only walk the whole ride.

Nell's action photos

I ♥ my new camera...

Lights...Camera...Rocky?

Yes, believe it or not, Rocky can actually run. And beautifully at that. He certainly has changed a lot since we bought him.

New Tralee photos

I was only thinking last week that I hadn't taken any new photos of the horses for a while and as they are all starting to come back into their summer coats and the weather was beautiful we decided it was high time to take some new action shots.

And just for shits and giggles...

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...