Those Feckin Birds, Top Barn Challenge Tips and Happy New Year

 So as usual we will start with the Weather!  The Ice finally melted.  Oh the bliss to have running taps!! Now we have typically British weather.....Rain, Mud and Wind!  But at least its a long way above freezing. Its been typically around 5c to 8c during the day.  I can cope with that!  

Of course during the freeze Mini the Shetland got Laminitus!  Its quite common in frozen weather as the the sugar in the grass migrates to the tips. We decided to house her in The Round Pen as it is mostly weeds. With Coco next to her in a pen with proper grass.  Although Coco is also a Shetland, she was starved in a previous life, and we couldn't keep the weight on her.  After some Mastersons from Jade Monahan (the wonder healer), it was discovered her jaw was locked and she was only chewing up and down. Now she can grind side to side and has gained weight. Coco loves her grass, and can be very fussy about eating anything else.  And so they have to have separate pens sometimes.  Mini is not overly happy about this and had a major tantrum today, when Coco's pen was extended.  After a proper broncing fit, I decided to film her.  She had calmed down by then, but its quite clear she is sound again!

Charlie and I managed to film and enter our December classes for Horse Agility. When the ice melted.  Now we are awaiting the final League placings. Of course we only started in June, so we won't be more than halfway up the League Tables. But its been both a blast and a learning curve.  Charlie loves learning the new courses each month.  In our 6 months, we have moved from Starter Level, Through First Level, into Medium Level. We have also completed a Liberty Class each month and have worked through Training Levels 1 and 2.  We are currently halfway through Level 3. Looking at our rosette board for this year we have 5 x 1st, 4 x 2nd, 3 x 3rd, a 4th and a Perfect Score.  Not bad for a half blind, half feral, late cut rescue who was on his way for meat, and a limping 50-odd year old with Dodgy Lungs and Dicky Ticker who was told her time with horses was over!

Even if I do say so myself!!!!

We have started on the January Walk Only Course. As we have moved up the levels we got more trotting. Charlie can trot!  But I can't.  Not even to save my life!  In fact, running may well end it.  So we are now in the Walk Only League. More technical and precise it seems.  If only the Feckin Robins would leave us alone!!!!!

Yes in the video I say sparrows but they are actually Robins.  Yup those cute little birds on the front of Xmas Cards. Now I love them. Up to a point.  The little bastards have me well trained! We have several Robins at The Farm.  But there are 2 of them that have got me wrapped around their little talons!  Muckheap Robin. He lives in the Gate end of 'The School' which is near the Muck Heap. Every day, he sits nearby, glaring and whistling. He demands I dig into the muck to reveal tasty, hot, takeaway worms. Not the best thing to do with Dodgy Lungs and a Dicky Ticker in Winter, but he has me under his spell!  Number 2 is School Robin.  He lives at the other end of 'The School'.  When I feed Charlie, he fluffs about, trying to share the food. Then he follows us around the Obstacle Course, fluttering about and scaring Charlie!  Sometimes the little shit sits on my phone! 

So I bought him some special wild bird peanuts, hoping they would distract him. But its just made him worse. He knows they are for him, so he leaves them and hassles me for more.  Today both Robins clashed.  Now Robins are very territorial and despite their cute Xmas Card looks, are aggressive little bastards. They fought like a couple of drunks at a Football Match. I'll be glad when they go where ever Robins go when it warms up!!!! Or I may start training them!!!!!

So, 4 more sleeps before The Top Barn Challenge 2023 Begins.  Are we all excited?  To be honest Top Barn has changed my perception of Winter. I used to hate Winter. See it as a time of Hibernation.  Get up, care for the horses and then leave to get back indoors. Even when I was competing, January was a chore.  Now I look forward to it.  This is my 5th year with Charlie. Each year we have done Bronze, as although I only have the one pony at the Farm, he is in a herd of 5 ponies.  They live out 24/7, but there is still plenty of work to be done. Hay, Water, Poo Pick, Ragworting, Fencing etc etc. Add in snow and ice and everything takes twice as long.  And we only have limited daylight hours.  

I failed to complete 2020, due to trying to do the Challenge with 2 ponies, and catching Covid in a big way.  I ended up with pneumonia, so quit on the 6th week.

Last year my 85 year old Mother became very ill.  I was driving a 30 mile round trip each day to look after her. I nearly moved Charlie to a Livery Yard, I nearly Quit the Challenge.  I nearly turned to drink. But I clung onto the Challenge like a life raft. It was My Time.  I simply got up earlier to fit it all in.

So this year is looking better (touch wood).  I have pledged Silver Premium with Charlie.  He has been a challenge full stop. But we have progressed a lot in the last year. Despite being 9, he has never been ridden properly.  He is having regular Craniosacral work done (by Jade The Miracle Healer) and has a new Farrier.  We have a lot to work on.  Agility, Muscle Building, Learning to be tied up, Long Reining, Lunging, Clipper Training, Wearing Tack and finally, hopefully, being ridden. So here are my  Challenge Tips....

1/ Do The Maths.  Work out how many hours you can realistically do each week. Bronze = 3 hours per week (per horse).  That = roughly 26 minutes a day each horse....if you work horse every day. 

2/ Don't leave it all till the weekend.  Every minute counts, so try to get the time in early.

3/ Don't use your Rollover and Holiday Weeks too soon. You never know whats ahead.  Remember The Beast From The East?  It didn't turn up till the end of February. Being on The East Coast, we were snowed under. Luckily that year I still had a Rollover and Holiday Week in hand.

4/ Bank Time when you can.  Its better to 'Bank' time early on.  Then if you need to have a Rollover Week, the time is already done.  It's hard to catch that time up. 

5/ Think outside the box.  There is so much you can do with your horse without riding or even moving!  Teach him Tricks......Smile, Hug, Kiss, Say Please, Target, Pick Up. Try something new.

6/ Become a Premium Member.  It's literally only a pound a week. There is so much to be gained. Rhi's randoms are a fantastic inspiration in themselves.  Plus you get to win prizes and join in Q & A time. I also think if you have paid for something, you have more incentive to complete. And the Top Barn Team give so much time and effort into this Challenge.....They deserve a little dollar.

7/ Check out the Mini Challenges, even if you are 'just' doing Bronze and don't have to. Pick a few Challenges for something to work on.  I try and and do as many as possible.

8/ Make it a personal Challenge. Find something you want to achieve for yourself and focus on it. It can be anything, from better connection with your horse to jumping a 4ft X Country course. Everyone is on a different journey and there is no Judgement.

9/ Remember to record what you do and post each week. Fill in your hours and aims in the Diary, in spreadsheets, on the printable pages, or even on a scrap of paper. It helps The Top Barn team check, and more than this it gives you a record so you can look back and see how far you have come.

10/ ENJOY THE CHALLENGE!!!  Remember its just fun and motivation. Its not a Competition. If you cheat ( and I'm sure no-one would) you are just cheating yourself. If you fail, don't beat yourself up.  Just do your best, and ENJOY YOUR HORSE!

So I guess I have to add.....I am nothing to do with Top Barn.  I am just a happy member looking forward to the new Challenge.  

And HAPPY NEW YEAR to my readers x

Winter Has Arrived - To Rug Or Not To Rug, And Its Nearly Time For The Top Barn Challenge

 So Winter has definitely arrived. A lot of the country has already had snow.  Here in the far East of England the snow has kept away (although some is threatened for tonight).  But its been frosty to say the least. Minus temperatures at night and only just above freezing during the day.  The ice has stayed on the ground with more ice added each night.  Taps and fingers have frozen.  And of course, the tractor sprung a major leak at the Weekend and suddenly spewed forth a lot of coloured liquid. Right in the gateway.  I feared it may have been the radiator. Jo and I quickly moved the Hay by hand before we had a riot on our hands, while trying to figure out how to move the stricken tractor.  Luckily for us Rob, Meg and Nancy arrived to help. Rob had a taste of the liquid on the floor and decided it was not anti-freeze. We looked under the bonnet and found a tube off. After some discussion we decided it was a pipe taking diesel to the Filter and so wasn't terminal.  Rob had another glug, but we were not 100% sure, however all the other important fluid levels were still full, so we risked firing it up and moving it out of the way.  Thank you Rob, Meg and Nancy for poo-picking with your car.  Our mechanically minded Horse Landlord confirmed it was just a diesel leak, so its all good!

And so to the main question......To Rug or Not To Rug.  I am a great believer in Not Rugging. Obviously if your horse is elderly, clipped or struggles to keep weight on, then go ahead, rug away. However...... If you have a fit, unclipped healthy horse, it does not need a rug. It takes away a huge amount of stress for you and your horse if you leave him as nature intended. Don't forget, horses survived the Ice Age!

So while as humans we are all freezing and wearing as many layers as we can move in, our horses are not feeling the cold. Apparently a human is comfortable between 25c and 30c.  That means we do not use energy to keep warm at those temperatures.  Although most of us in England would agree we are more than happy around 18c, and 30c is a tad hot!  Its called a Thermoneutral Zone.

Horses have a much larger Thermoneutral Zone. They are comfortable between 0c and 25c.  Horses also have an internal 'fire' which is stoked up by the fermentation of fibre in the hindgut (Ie....Hay Hay Hay).  If the Horse has his natural coat, it is waterproof and provides as much heat to the skin as a 400g rug. Horse hair also stands up when its cold, creating an insulating pocket of air next to the skin.  A rug will press this hair down and eliminate the natural coats ability to retain heat. When checking how warm your horse is, forget the ears.  Horses are designed to leave the extremities cold to direct the heat to the organs. Feel under the armpits!  Also if your horse is covered in snow which is not melting, you can be sure he is well insulated.  If you over rug your horse, not only will he be uncomfortable, he will also be prone to EMS and Laminitus. 

Our ponies are all natives, unclipped, unrugged and live out 24/7.  This is the most natural life we can give them.  They do not have hard feed. They do however have plenty of hay. They are all happy, warm and do not have 'problems' that many pampered horses have.  Yes they will drop weight this winter (hopefully), but that is natural, ensuring that when the spring grass comes around, they will not suffer Laminitus etc.  This includes Daisy (who had EMS) and Coco who the vet diagnosed with Cushings, but who is doing fine this Winter.  And we can sleep at night, knowing they are all fine, no matter what the weather throws at them.  

In the 2nd pic you can see Charlies hairs standing up doing their job.

Anyway enough lecturing! So last months Agility Comps were a little hard. Having moved up a level, Charlie and I had a lot to learn.  There were a few poles to step over, and back up over.  Being a hard nut (partially blind) Coblet, he has the tendency to plough through stuff! Poles? What Poles? Oh Yeah, I'll just kick em out of the way!  We also had a lot of wind, which kept blowing my course over. So I was hugely surprised that we got another 1st in the On-Line Medium Level Comp and 3rd in the Liberty.  We are currently working on The December Xmas Courses. They are fun and involve dressing up which we love. I would like soft ground though for Charlies enthusiastic jump!  There is a lot of running in our level!! I couldn't beat a snail for a seat on a bus with my Dodgy Lungs and Dicky Ticker, so next year we will be swerving sideways and joining the Walk Only Leagues. My November Rosettes arrived today.  I showed them to Charlie, but he was busy eating!

And so its nearly time for the Big Event!  No Not Christmas! Its just a day like any other.  Get up early and see to the horses!  No, I'm talking about The Top Barn 2023 Winter Challenge.  I have already printed off the worksheets and put them in Charlies File.  I know a lot of people have got the diaries.  Others will have computer based spreadsheets. Being old I prefer to write stuff down with a pen!

I have declared Bronze, but will aim for Silver.  Charlie and I have a lot of stuff to work on.  As well as The Agility Stuff, we have also been building up Charlies chest muscles. He is definitely looking more muscular, so its time to try and ride him again! 

Good Luck everyone taking part in the Challenge.