Sleekeze, Killing Fields, Poplar Park Horse Trials and Pony Rehab

A busy weekend...please excuse me if I fall asleep while writin....zzzzz.  Oh sorry, where was I?  I have to tell you about this amazing product from a company called http://www.sleekez.com/ .  I promise you I am not being paid, nor have any connection with them.  Its just the best tool for removing winter coats on horses. Jo bought one the other day, and we gave it to Chanice, a 13 year old that helps out on saturdays.  We also gave her B to practise on. B, who is not easy to handle.  B who I used to say stood for biatch. B, who fell asleep while being groomed with this simple tool.

All that hair coming out!!!!

And so to our buzzard friend and the killing fields....Squeamish dove lovers look away now!  Our stables/barn/straw store has been home to doves for a long time. Nothing against doves....even the half breeds....we also had a pigeon we called Puff Daddy, who strutted about mating with the doves.  But we did have around 40 of them.  And they shat everywhere. All the straw, stables etc were covered in guano. We have spent so much time scrubbing, pressure washing, sweeping and discussing how to humanely move them on.  Over the last week we started to notice feathers around the barn.  Lots of feathers.  Killing Field feathers.  We also noticed less doves.  Excellent we thought, we have a prolific serial killer fox, who will thin the numbers while we are not looking. Nature innit.  On Saturday I noticed a lack of doves on the Barn roof. Upon investigation I encountered a single blackbird. Hmmm Strange?  Today Jo arrived to no doves, so crept into the Barn, expecting them to be all back and sleeping or something.  Instead she met a Buzzard on his way out.  Thank you Mr Buzzard, for eating or scaring them away.....Jane over the road, who has the 5* hotel for shetland ponies, also has a dove palace for any survivors, and we just may have our stables back.

Back to B the Biatch.  The uptight, solitary little pony, who wouldn't come near us. The pony that needed rugby tackling to be caught. And then tried to kick us. Over the last couple of months the magic of the land has mellowed her.  She voluntarily comes over for a cuddle and head rub. She has relaxed!  She is a completely different pony.  As is Daisy, And Polly, and Charlie....And so I got thinking......We should do pony rehab. We can take one at a time, some messed up, mistreated or plain sick pony, to just chill and relax, be a pony. Its an idea.

Today I took Chanice Who Helps On Saturdays to Poplar Park Horse Trials. Having given her a lesson on saturday, (and been horrified that she had been taught at a riding school to grip up with her knees), I thought it would be good for her to see professionals.  It was cold, but we had a long long course walk, and Scrumpy had a go at dog agility.  And I have decided....I really am not a photographer.......