Top Barn Challenge Complete, Lilys First Ride, Baby Cows and A Dead Tractor!

Oh yes its all been happening!!  So first up, Charlie and i have completed the Top Barn 12 Week Challenge.  For those of you that don't know, this was a Facebook Group that I somehow got invited to.  The idea is a 12 week Challenge, with Mini Challenges.  There were different levels. I picked Bronze with Charlie, which was a commitment to do 3 hours a week. Doesn't sound much...but doing groundwork only, is quite a bit.  There was a list of Mini Challenges in several different groups, ie, Hacking, Dressage, Jumping, Groundwork, Trec etc. This is by far the best horsey group on FB i have ever joined!!  Everyone was sooo supportive.  There was no "I'm better than you".  

The group consisted of about 1000 people from all over the world. We had old and young, experienced, novice, nervous....everyone had a personal challenge. The idea of starting in January is genius.  Winter months are when we tend to say, "Its too dark, cold, wet", etc.  This Challenge pushed us to work in the dark, the snow and the wind.  People found ingenious ways to work with their horses, despite the weather.  Everyone pushed themselves to face their fears. We urged each other on.  The prize is a weeks holiday at Top Barn, but the real prize is facing fears, and having a better relationship with your horse.

I have videoed each session with Charlie.....The good and the bad!!  He has acquired quite a fan club.  He has also calmed down a lot, and has become interested in working with me. My goal for the 12 weeks was to be riding him.  This hasn't quite happened, as around week 10, he had a spring hormonal breakdown, and became very stalliony, so I had to step back a bit....But I have sat on him a few times. He has worked hard, so is now having a week off.  After that I will try and ride him away, although its going to feel weird not videoing our every move.  Roll on next year!!!

In the last 3 months, we have discovered one thing.....Charlie CAN JUMP!

Meanwhile in the background, Jo and I have been working Lily.  Having done a few walk outs, lunging, Bonder, and long-reining. We have also stuck various small children on her bareback for a sit.  Then Shona got on with a saddle..

So at the weekend, we put Grace up, and Jo led them round the "school". What a good girl!!  It was like she had been ridden before.  Although younger than Charlie, Lil has been at World Horse Welfare for a couple of years, and also a girl! So is actually more advanced!  

Yesterday Shanice (who helps on Saturdays) came up for her first ride since her fall.  I wouldn't normally leave it that long, but the poor girl was too hurt to get straight back on, and has been busy since.  So it was a nice sunny day. Daisy has been hacked out several times since, and not put a foot wrong.  Jo rode Lu and I led Lily, promising Shanice that I would be by her side.  Shanice was understandably a little nervous, but I told her to just relax, and tell Daisy all about college, which she did.  We had a lovely walk down the lane.  Everyone was calm.  I was almost tempted to ride Lil back, but only had kids stirrups and no hat, so didn't.  Good Call!!

The field that runs along the lane, has acquired 4 baby male cows with big horns.  Jo and i went out with Charlie and Lu on foot last week to meet them, but they wouldn't come over.  Yesterday they were by the gate on the way back.  Much snorting from Lu and Lily.  Daisy had a good look, and decided they were less than interesting.  We set off down the lane.  The cows followed at a gallop.  Lily was absolutely terrified, spinning and rearing, eyes out on stalks.  My priority, as well as hanging on to Lil, was to hold Daisys headcollar, just in case.  Meanwhile Lu was doing a sideways piaff! Very impressive! I offered Shanice the chance to dismount, but she said her and Daisy were fine, which they were.  Kudos to Shanice for holding her nerve!  Looks like we will be back and forwards down that lane till all the horses are ok about the cows!

And so the tractor is dead!!  Its only a ride on lawn mower really.  Designed to cut an acre or two, on Sundays, in the summer.  Ours has pulled a heavy muck trailer daily, every day for years.  We have struggled with starting it this Winter.  It had a new battery and starter motor.  But still it objected in the morning.  Finally the other day it went clatter clatter, and stopped.  Jo and I thought the fan had broken....Its happened a few times.  So Mark the Mechanic was summoned to replace the fan,  which he did.  It still wouldn't start.  He replaced the plug, cleaned the carb, and ascertained that there was fuel and spark.  He didn't think it had any compression, but not being a lawn mower expert, gave up.  We sent it to the local Farm/Tractor/Mower place.  I had a bad feeling that it was the rings that had made the clattering noise.  I used to have a dodgy motorbike, that broke its piston rings 5 times, and it sounded the same. But what do I know?  I'm just a girl (well a female...hardly a girl these day).  Turns out I was right.  So the Tractor is dead.