Bucking Straps, Dentists and Umbrellas

So I admit, I have been away a while.....I have moved and BT are "having problems at the exchange", so its been a while with no internet. Its still not connected but I can sometimes get BT Fon.....the rest of the time I have to go to the pub to use their internet (SIGH). Maybe my readers are paying BT to go slow?????

So its a quick catch up. Having posted pics on Facebook (Ooops) of my incompetence with the western saddle, I was quickly informed that the bucking strap was too tight, and that when tightened up it causes bucking!!! Hmmm. That would explain the bucking fit then! I tried it on Daisy...without the bucking strap, and had a ride. I have to say it felt a bit weird, and I need a breastplate, but I think I'll get used to it. 

We then had the vet out to do some dentistry. We told her to bring Ketamine....Charlie being a baby, Sweet Pea not liking muzzles and Daisy being a bit unpredictable as to what she will accept. Charlie was a star and didn't mind at all. Sweet Pea was an angel. Daisy went to sleep. Jasmin (Mini) went NUTS.
Of all of them.....the smallest, sweetest pony! A week later we took her to the vet in the lorry, with Sweet Pea for company and dogs. We sort of erupted everywhere when we arrived! Heavily sedated Mini had an electric rasp to remove some nasty hooks.

Jo has decided to enter Lu at the Suffolk Show, so we have been de-spooking her. We had a play with an umbrella which was hilarious. Lu ran off, so did Daisy initially. Charlie tried to eat it. Having twirled it this way and that with Charlie, I retrieved Daisy, who decided it wasn't so bad whilst eating Herbalicious treats. Lu took a bit more convincing and ended up looking a bit of a twat as herd leader!

Meanwhile at the RDA we need some more horses. Viv and I went out to Essex on a very rainy day and I tried out Stormin Norman, a 13.2hh black and white cob with a long mustache. I was instantly in love. He could be Charlies' brother. A perfect trial....Didn't put a foot wrong, so hopefully we will have him on loan soon.

Things with the Papermill Lane Ponies are not so good. 4 of us went for a visit a couple of weeks ago. We photographed a lot of underweight ponies, with no water and bad hay which was mostly out of reach anyway.  We distributed what hay and water we could, untangled a few caught up in each others tethers, and stumbled across bags and bags of bones. We all went home feeling saddened and sickened, fired off lots of emails and complaints. I'd really like to go home with a lorry full! We will continue to fight