Yes on Sunday we took the Shetlands to a show at The Suffolk Showground. The jockey was Nancy, Megs little girl. It was her first show. Megs too. Having studied the schedule, we decided apon Thelwell, Prettiest Mare, and The Pony The Judge would most like to take home. Our calculations were that these novelty classes wouldn't start before 2pm. How wrong we were!! It seems the classes in the ring before had very little competitors, and they had finished by the time we got there.
So a panic ensued as we entered Novice Horse and Rider (not really a lead rein class) and Best Rescue. No time to tell Meg any etiquette!! Still SweetPea behaved impeccably and Nancy was thrilled with a 1st and 3rd rosette.
Mini who we took for company behaved appallingly. Standing with Jo by the ringside, she pawed, neighed, stuck her head into the ring! The steward was enchanted, and asked if she could take photos. At that point we said she could take her home!! Having given up showing a long time ago, I was thrilled to find a bunch of chatty, helpful horse owners there. May even get back into it myself!
The day before was a challenge! Meg brought Nancy over to ride SweetPea. Chanice who helps on Saturdays was also there. I wanted to take Charlie out, so decided we would all go together, with Chanice on Daisy, who hasn't been ridden for a while, and myself on Lu (who hasn't been ridden since May due to her foot problem), ponying Charlie off her.
SweetPea went in front. Daisy behind, me Lu and Charlie in the middle. Lu and Daisy were both like cats on hot bricks. Chanice did very well, and Daisy settled once out on the road. Charlie was a star, keeping his head by my knee, ears pricked, enjoying himself. Lu was errrrr, Not so Good. Spooking aside, once she realised I was merely using her as a seat, she decided she would force me to pay her attention, by refusing to be ridden one handed. She kept veering off onto verges, forcing me to use both hands to steer. Charlie then had to move closer, at which she laid her ears flat back.
Once back, as Chanice needed help to dismount, I took off Lu and Charlies bridles, leaving them to browse the hedge. As punishment for my lack of attention, Lu buggered off, still wearing my saddle, and tried several times to fold up to roll, with me sprinting after her yelling NO. Not the best activity with my dicky ticker and dodgy lungs!!
And Storm Aileen? With threatened winds of 50mph, Jo and I spent yesterday fencing our winter grazing, making large paddocks so the horses could run if frightened. We turned the Shetlands loose in the 3-Acre (we may never catch them again). We picked up, and put away anything we thought might blow away......Except the Barn!
The horses thought they had gone to heaven. What no strip grazing???
Today the wind died down around midday, and we went to check the chaos. Apart from a few branches down, happily all was fine. Time to strip graze tomorrow!
Sadly I have no photos of SweetPeas show, as we were in and out before you could blink, and in the panic to get to the ring I left my phone in the lorry. But here are some happy ponies in their Winter Field!
Yes..... Autumn is coming. Our field bordering trees are full of Sloes and Blackberries. Its cool enough at night to tolerate a duvet. For the last few days I have been wearing jeans (one soaking in shorts is enough thank you....took hours to warm up).
There are Arabs up on the opposite hill. The eldest is wearing a rug. As is Polly, who has dropped some weight, so is having a feed a day. When the Arabs move to their Winter grazing, it will truly be a sign that Autumn is apon us. The swallows will be leaving soon. Don't get me wrong.... I love Autumn. I love the colours of the leaves, and the cooler dewy mornings. The lack of flies!! It's a great time to ride....Not too hot, not too cold. Perfect. Yes I love Autumn.....I'm just not so keen on Winter!!!
We have been moving fencing around a lot this week....eeking out the last grass on The Hill Field, and leaving some to rest in the hope that a September flush will happen. The Shetlands...Sorry Unicorn Superstars are grazing the verges like the little lawnmowers they are. Still, our winter grazing is looking good, and the Barn is full of hay.
Now is the time to stock that Hay Barn, and make sure the rugs are cleaned and proofed. Its also the time to check for bot eggs on the ponies. They show up as small yellowish flecks on dark coloured legs. They are also on your greys...you just can't see them. Bot combs are available.....If you have no life, or you can wait till they have been licked off and then worm!
Now a quick mention for Bracken. If you live on Heath-land/Moors etc you probably have bracken in your field. We normally fence around it, but as it was spreading, we sprayed it in the summer. Now its a nice brown colour we have been pulling it up. ALERT....It gives nasty paper cuts....Wear Gloves.
Now having kept horses on Heath-land most of my life without problems I thought, a) some moorland ponies can eat it without a problem, and b) it isn't poisonous when dead! So I did some research.
Turns out Bracken is poisonous dead or alive. In fact its more palatable dead. Most horses don't eat it when there is other grazing available (as with ragwort), BUT some horses develop a taste for it. As proved yesterday by Polly! We let her out into the main paddock to eat her breakfast. Despite lots of grass, once she had finished her meal, she started to eat the dead bracken we had pulled and put into a wheel-barrow!!!
Meanwhile Lu and Charlie have been mugging the trailer for the empty feed bucket......Sadly no feeds for them (due to their rather round bellies).
