Well its nearly the end of 2023 (How did that happen?) Charlie and I have had a great 2023. He has done really well in Horse Agility, we have progressed to about 8 steps ridden before the panic starts, and I can nearly get the clippers on his legs!!
What always amazes me (still) is the fact he comes running when I call him, or if he has spotted me in the Playpen (new name for the 'school' as it really isn't), he is waiting at the Gate. It shows how far we have come from the pony that once took 2 weeks to catch!!!! This is all down to Clicker Training and Trick Training. This year I joined Connection Training and I have learnt sooooo much about how the horses mind works. Our relationship has blossomed and its a real 2 way communication now. Between Horse Tricks 101 Club, The International Horse Agility Club and Connection Training we now have a proper solid relationship and the ability to have actual conversations. I am now exploring the concept of his consent, and giving him a voice that I listen to. More on that next year.
As well as the Horse Agility and slowly slowly ridden work, during the Year, Charlie and I took part in 2 Top Barn Treasure Hunts. I love a good Treasure Hunt. Its a brilliant concept ......To get out and seek 'treasures' such as Churches, Pubs, Water, Cows.....you get it. Not only was it great fun, we ventured out of our comfort zones in the pursuit of 'treasures' and spent a lot of time hanging out waiting for them to pass by.
We have just finished our last Agility Competition of the Year. Having won the WO Liberty Silver in November with Charlie, I was raring to start on the final competition of the year. However Covid struck! I went to London (yes a Yokel like me, in the Big Smoke). I went to see the Lionesses play The Netherlands at Wembley. One sardines in a tin packed Tube Train later and I was struck down. I felt wretched for nearly 10 days. My Horse Landlord is vulnerable so I kept away, only visiting Charlie when the coast was clear. Poor Jo had to shoulder all the work, while I lay in bed watching crap daytime TV. So I have only had 12 days to pull off a Competition entry, while the weather has raged with rain and wind. We also managed to film a few Xmas Shorts for our You Tube Channel. Check them out https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLYQBYhWqo_WPVdz9MFkCtA/about. If that doesn't work just type Charlie The Trick Pony into the search. I'm crap with links etc.
Meanwhile Daisy, who retired aged 23 last spring, has been hooning around like a spring chicken. She has EMS, but living on a track system has given her a new lease of life. She is a great nanny pony, being fairly bombproof, so Jo and I decided she may as well do something. Like helping Charlie get out hacking. Having done nothing for most of the Year, and never having done any Agility, I brought her in and took her round the OLHA WO Starter Course in November. I had filmed it, and it looked Ok. So I registered her with the International Horse Agility Club, and entered. To my utter surprise, she came 1st. So Daisy has a new career!! I have since had front shoes put on, ready for the New Year Challenge.
And that Challenge is of course, The Top Barn 2024 Winter Challenge. I have entered both ponies. Charlie at Bronze Premium Level and Daisy at Copper Level which is new for this year. My aim is to get them both fit and ready to try Equigility (Ridden Horse Agility). I also want to Clicker train Daisy, and will be doing a series of videos on YouTube of our progress.
And so onto that miracle Track System. Our Winter Field for the larger ponies is 2 acres. We have always strip grazed it, but having used the Track System in the Summer with success, I thought it was worth trying it on the Winter Grazing. Using electric fence posts we have gradually increased the Track around the outside of the paddock, so now it runs all the way round. Then small strips are made into the middle. They are having very small amounts of hay to supplement the grass, and here we are, nearly at the end of the year, with a load of grass left. They are using the whole track. I would like to attach some sort of tracker to Charlie, to see how far they are actually moving.
Now we are lucky to be on sandy soil. With all the rain we have had so far this Winter, I know a lot of people are having problems with their tracks becoming bogs. Ours is standing up well. No one can chose their soil, but here in The Suffolk Sandlings, I have always had my horses on sandy soil. Yes it brings its own problems. When the grass is cropped the horses pull it up from the roots which can cause sand colic. We feed pysillium regularly to combat this. In a dry hot Summer (Oh I wish) the grass turns to dust and we have to feed hay. Ragwort loves sandy soil, so its a constant battle to pull it up. But on the whole I would much rather have sand than mud.
So it just remains to Wish You All a Happy Xmas. See you all in2024. x
