A Long, Long Winter!

 So whats been happening since the Top Barn Challenge finished???  Well not a lot.  The brief warm days (2 of them to be precise) went as quickly as they came.....and it snowed again!  Not laying this time, but when you have snow showers instead of April Showers, you know its cold.  Having girded our loins for the last 3 months to work the horses in all weathers, we have had Winter Shutdown now.  April has been cold!!  And dry!!  The winds have blown from the North East relentlessly, and the grass is not growing. 

Having moved the Biggies back to The Bowling Green, we were able to not feed them hay for a least 3 days!!  Then they started breaking the fence down to get back to the bare field they moved from!! After Charlie had stretched the springs in 2 gate handles, and Lu had broken down the whole fence, we gave in and moved them to The Hill Field.  Despite a minuscule amount of new grass, they have been happy for a week now!! The Minis were moved to The Bowling Green.....where they seem to have found enough grass to satisfy them.

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There has been No rain, and No warmth!! We are in what is known as a Blackthorn Winter!  Folklore says while the Blackthorn blossom is in full bloom, it will remain cold!  The Blackthorn Blossom is still in full bloom! Jo has tried wearing flip flops, and i have shed a layer (and braved bare feet in crocs), but it hasn't worked. We have gone back to Winter boots (and even hats on some days).  Still, Summer has to arrive soon, doesn't it? Then I can moan about how hot it is, and the flies!!!!

On a good note......We have sharers for both Lily and Daisy.  No names mentioned yet (so as not to jinx it, and also because I haven't asked them if they mind me rambling about them). Jo and I are super excited to have these two mares getting some extra love and attention.  They are both cracking mares but we don't have enough time to lavish on them (as they are so easy compared to The Patchy Twat and The Blonde Diva).

And so the only thing that I have done with Charlie this month is enter him into a showing class in The Top Barn Hub.  Its been too cold (did I mention that?) to bath him, so Class 1-The Smartest Pair was out.  Hes neither a baby, or a Veteran, so another 2 Classes out. Best Ridden????? Really. Only if it means shortest duration before getting off, or being ejected. Best Trot? Charlie has a cracking trot, but with my dodgy lungs and dicky ticker? Not a Chance....!! So Judges Favorite it was.Criteria...Show off Horses Character.  I think we pulled that one off!!

Tune in next month to see if Summer has arrived!!  This has been The Weather Channel!

BOOM! Top Barn 12 Week Challenge Completed! Now What?

 Whoop Whoop!!! Both Jo and I completed the Top Barn 12 Week Challenge.  I went to the Wire! Only completing my hours on the very last day.  But we did it!

Week 11.... Charlie started in Full Patchy Twat Mode.  Took him for a walk out in-hand down the lane.  This brave pony that doesn't mind me popping balloons in his face, took exception to daffodils, waving gracefully in the wind!! He planted more than a farmer in spring.

Funny how a 14hh pony can grow to 16hh in seconds!

On Day 4 I decided to go for some TRT methods of leading.....that was after I spent 15 minutes trying to catch him!! This used to happen every day, but since I began Clicker Training its a rare occurrence. A sure sign that he needs a break!  Come on Charlie.....Not now!

The following day Patchy Twat mode was disabled.  We had a pamper session, some TRT leading and RIDING!!! With Jo at his head (but not leading) we rode around the Round Pen several times, with Charlie looking like a Riding School Pony!!

We finished the week in High Winds with some tricks and a balloon popping video for Horse Tricks 101 Group. The wind carried off a few balloons!!!

Week 12 - At last the weather was OK.  I started off with some Clipper Training. Most pleased..... Managed to clip some feathers and Charlies withers!!!!! Big deal for a pony that took off at the sight of running clippers!!

So Day 2 - Jo and I thought we would film some Mini Challenges.  The In-hand stuff went well. And so to the Ridden Challenges.  As I had ridden Charlie all of 4 times (with Jo on foot), I naturally thought I could hop up and do some ridden challenges, while Jo was doing them on Lu.  Charlie said No Way, Too Fast, NOT Happening!!!! Having got up he planted.  I got him moving, then he planted again. Jo and Lu came to give him a lead, but the only thing that was working was reverse and spin. Like some sort of washing machine cycle.  He was as tense as a crossbow, shortened up ready to explode. I caught sight of his rolling eyes and decided to get off. The Old Me would have stayed on and got after him.  The Old Me nagging away says I was a coward! The Old Me would have sat the explosion.  But the New Me is Old, with Dodgy Lungs and a Dicky Ticker.  The New Me also realises that frightening Charlie is going back several months. He had reached Station Shut Down. I think I did the right thing.....At least the right thing for me and Charlie.

So my goal for The 12 Week Challenge was to be hacking out by the end.  The Final Hours of the Challenge were a Fizzle rather than a BANG.  We spent the final time doing old tricks, nothing too stressful for the Boy. BUT......We have achieved Riding and Clipping.....my 2 goals if not completely, then we have made a good start.

So Whats Next??? Well Charlie has had the last week off. Typical English weather! Tuesday and Wednesday were 20c, T-Shirt weather, now its snowing again!! But on Wednesday, I had a lovely hack on Daisy, with Jo and Lu. Charlie and I have a new trick to learn, and I will continue to ride him, but slowly with Jo beside him, until he is OK with that. Repetition is everything with this pony!

This last weekend being Easter, and Charlottes last week with us (Charlotte has been doing her Duke Of Edinburgh award with us), we had an Easter Egg Hunt down the lane for our stoic Saturday Helpers. Easter eggs were found!

A Big Shout Out to our Saturday Helpers!

First up Neecy who has been with us since she was 13.  She is now 18, and could look after the ponies blindfold. She is indispensable and has a special relationship with Daisy.

And then there is Nancy, who is 8 years old and has been helping for the last 4 years,  She is happy to poo pick, dragging a heavy scoop to the trailer, and is much loved by Mini The Shitland.

Finally Thanks to Charlotte, (13) who has been doing her D of E with us and has worked her butt off every Saturday for the last 6 months despite the cold Winter. We will miss you!

Happy Easter...............See You all Soon.

Top Barn Challenge - Weeks 6 - 10. Snow and Stuff!!!!

 Oh wow its been soooo long since I had time to sit down and write it all down.  Blame Top Barn (haha).  So where were we???? Oh Yeah Week 5. With 2.5 hours done, THE WEATHER GOT ME!!!! Despite only half an hour to go, the final day brought SNOW......Lots of SNOW!!!! Sideways Blizzard in High Winds Kind of Snow. Just seeing to the Ponies was enough!!  So I used my Rollover Week, with 2hr 45mins in the Bank I only have 15mins to make up (which I still haven't done).

So week 6 started with SNOW!!!! So much SNOW.  So much SNOW if fact that the little town I live in was cut off from the World.  Even the Snow Plough got stuck!!! I tried for 2.5hours to get to the Yard.  Every which way was cut off by enormous SNOW Drifts.  Luckily Jo got through and the horses were watered and fed.  If I hadn't got Dodgy Lungs and a Dicky Ticker, I would have walked the 5 miles.....but Mark The Mechanic and Part Time Horse Whisperer banned me from even trying. I discovered my Land-rover has had the Prop-shaft removed, thereby turning it into a 2wd. I discovered this while going down the road sideways, while all the engine lights came on, telling me that Traction Control, ABS etc was off. I had already figured we shouldn't be half-passing down the road!!  Although if it had been a horse, the movement would have been impressive.  

The rest of Week 6 did not improve!!!!  The snow kept coming, the East Wind kept blowing. The drifts were so big, we struggled with just hay and water.  It was so bad we even rugged the Big Herd, as they had no shelter from the direction of the Weather. I declared Week 6 my Holiday Week.  Jo took it as her Rollover Week.

Luckily Week 7 brought a thaw.  We rejoiced as the temperature climbed to a whopping 4c.  We only had a few days left to film the Mid Challenge Competition, so we practiced. I had several attempts at filming , but the Pivo couldn't seem to follow us for a whole take!  On the Thursday, with 3 days to spare, Mark the Mechanic and Part-time Horse Whisper said he had 10 minutes to spare to film me. It was getting dark!!! I rushed over to meet him, pulled Charlie off the Hay and offered a practice run. We didn't have time!!! So we did it in the first take with the sun rapidly setting.  Charlie was a star. We did the whole course at liberty without even a headcollar.  We went under an arch with streamers, over a wooden pallet, touched and rung a bell, round a jump wing covered in streamers, jumped through the hoop, waved a flag, smiled and bowed. We didn't get placed (ahhhh boo), but i was very proud of my clever, complicated cob!   Jo left it even later, being buggered by strong winds, but did a brilliant course on the Final Day, which included Lu following her while blind-folded.  We had to do a very swift video conversion from my phone to a memory stick. 

Thank you Top Barn for giving us something very concrete to work on, and Well Done everyone who took part.  The creativity that went into some of the performances was astonishing!

Week 8...Time to stop messing about and get on Charlie. I have been trying for 4 years to ride him!  Slowly I go....Doing the Groundwork. Gently presenting the saddle, and the Rider (me).  Sometimes it has been OK. Most times not. I have ended up on the floor more than I haven't!! He basically goes into full panic mode when he can't see me.  Being partially blind in the Offside eye hasn't helped. Catching sight of a movement coupled with Mum not at his head, has sent him from OK to Terrified in 0.2 seconds.  Once terrified, he has lost the plot, setting us back to me not even being able to show him the saddle without a violent reaction.

So after all these years, doing tricks, walk outs blah blah blah, it finally feels like he is ready. He trusts me, he is fully grown, and has a new grown up outlook. So week 8 was mostly spent Tacking up, getting on, getting off, getting on, getting off....you get it. We even tried a few steps forward being led by Jo. All good!!!

Week 9 has been the high-point so far.....With a beautiful calm sunny day on Tuesday, I got on Charlie and rode him round the "School", following Jo and Lu in hand. Naturally the Pivo chose this moment to not record !!!  Then the wind got up, so we worked on Chill Mode, Lateral Work and Balloons (obviously).

Week 10 has brought us 50mph wind most of the week, along with hail, sun, rain, freezing fingers!!! Oh yes.....The weather for this Challenge has certainly been challenging!!  I have stuck to groundwork this week.....and balloon popping! 

So 2 more weeks to go!!!! It would be nice if we had some calm spring sunshine to finish off with. But that doesn't look like that's going to happen. So lets all gird our loins for a big finish!!!

Top Barn Challenge - Weeks 4 and 5 (The C word will be mentioned).

 So week 4 was good!!  Jo and I got creative building an obstacle course for the Mid Challenge Challenge.  We have to go over something, under something, round something and do a trick.  Now we haven't put our entries in yet.....so our obstacle course cannot be revealed in full!!!  But lets just say....we raided the Pony Party Box!  We may have streamers, windmills, bells, guitars......and THAT HOOP!!!   We spent the week playing with our course.

THAT HOOP is entirely the fault of Amanda who is a friend from OOP North.  Amanda posted a video of a pony jumping through a hoop on a Trick Academy group we are both part of https://www.facebook.com/groups/horsetricksacademy

So the jumping through a hoop challenge is on!!!  We made our hoop with plastic pipes and cones (oh and lots and lots of gaffer tape).  Its a work in progress!!

Towards the end of the week I got on Charlie.  He was pretty laid back.  2 days later I got on him again, and asked for a few steps.  Again pretty laid back.

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Week 5 has been a bit odd.  Last Sunday my Aunt died (which left me in a strange place mentally).  I pulled myself together and got on with stuff.  Charlie and I did some filming for a Valentine Video, played round the Obstacle Course and went on a walk together.  I meant to go down the lane, but The Patchy Twat was in full Patchy Twat Mode, spooking violently on the way out of the gate! We wandered round the 3 Acre until he had calmed down. 

 The sun was shining in the 12 Acre (which has been planted with trees and re-wilded). The temptation was too much.  In we went. We walked up to the first clearing, Charlie was on full alert.  We had a graze (well he did), and slowly came back again. Walking towards the sun was a nightmare. Cars in the distance were glinting and flashing, as was a stack of wrapped haylage (at least a mile away). Charlie grew to about 16hh. And snorted like a dragon.  After some reassurance, and head down tricks, he calmed down and we continued to the Gate (which I hadn't opened properly), which had a small horse size gap and a lot of rabbit wire stopping it swinging open. AND THEN I SAW THE MUNTJACK!  It was not going to move!  I saw it first and swore loudly....which alerted Charlie! Note to Self....Never react to anything scary first!  After a stand off with the diminutive Deer, Charlie and I edged to the gate, and kind of bolted through in tandem.

It was obviously one of those days when ordinary everyday ponies turn in to dragons.  As I went off happily to get my first Covid Jab, Jo went out for a hack round the Village on Lu. Lu had also turned into a fire-snorting dragon, and an hour hack took much longer, as Lu discovered napping.

I don't know why I was happy to get my Covid Jab. Well I guess I was feeling left out, as everyone I know has already had the first jab. And no-one had side effects!!  I guess my nasty lung/heart drugs reacted badly. By 4am I was shivering, aching, and freezing cold.  Then the Throwing Up started!! I eventually got some sleep, and forced myself up to the Yard, despite feeling like shit and having a mental heart rate. So that was another Challenge day wasted !!  

Today I felt better (although weak), and managed 45 minutes of something with Charlie. We started off OK, but he turned on Patchy Twat Mode again, and managed to nudge me so hard I fell over THAT HOOP......Onto the ground....In the Mud!!!!  Oh Well, as Scarlett O'Hara once said. "Tomorrow Is Another Day"

Top Barn Challenge - Week 2 and 3

 Well our Top Barn Challenge is going great guns (touch wood), (Well touch anything wood like, Formica, plastic that looks like wood, chipboard, that horrible wood chip wall paper!!).

After having 2 weeks of Fence related incidents, we though 'What the Hell, lets start Week 3 with a little bit of Fencing'. We wanted to move the ponies over to the other side of the 4 Acre.  Apart from Lu getting impatient with the slowness of the move, and going under and through the fence midway through the moving, there was no drama.  Does that count as going under something??

In week Two while I was busy getting Charlie to drag a branch whilst in harness (which he had only worn once before), Lu ejected Jo with some force, while freaking out over a swinging Barn Door. Jo hung on to Lu, and cut her finger quite badly in the process. I don't do human blood, but managed to hand her a plaster. Nurse Ratchet at your service!!!!  Not to be put off by such things, Jo was up on Lu the next day.  This is the power of THE CHALLENGE!

Charlie and I practiced Long Reining in tack, Clicker Training with the Clippers and a solo walk out in hand down the lane.  We met a dog . In a Fluorescent Jacket. With a very nice owner. Despite being VERY used to dogs, this one was obviously different. A DIFFERENT dog in a DIFFERENT place. Out of Comfort Zone. Charlie became 15hh and managed Airs Above The Ground. 

In Week 3 we had very high winds (45mph). Storm Christophe or something. Jo went off riding Lu.  This is something she would never have done before Top Barn 2020!! The effect has rolled over into 2021!!  With Lu gone, Charlie was being a dick, so we had some fun in the Wind, in our 'so called School'. I kind of love the wind (even though it takes my breath away, which is not helpful with Dodgy Lungs).  The child in me wants to play, run wild.  The Child in Charlie wants the same thing. So we ran (well he did, I puffed like the Flying Scotsman), we (he) pinged over jumps.  I was trying to get a nice liberty jump over cross poles to tick off a Mini Challenge, but the Patchy Twat kept jumping Wing. Note to self....Make X pole higher!!!! Still we danced in the Wind together and had FUN!!

On Friday, both Jo and I opted for some Pamper Time.  Lulu LOVES being pampered. Charlie HATES it. He also HATES being tied and pulls back. He has broken more string than I have had hot dinners. And I'm 54, so I've had quite a few hot dinners! Anyway I cross-tied him.  It almost worked.  He only broke one piece of string. But I managed to comb out his mane, tail and feathers, and apply the dreaded Mite Powder. He almost looks cared for!!!  While we were in the Barn, I backed him into a stable, and got the clippers on his withers while he was eating. A major achievement as he normally leaves the county as soon as the Clippers are turned on!

Saturday.....I just casually tacked him up....yeah....and casually half mounted.

Yesterday (Sunday) was really cold. I went off for a walk with Charlie.  Got as far as The 3 Acre Field, and decided to try and write some rude words using the Equilab App. Small things etc!!!!!  Twat and Tit went wrong ( I must work on my T's), but my greatest achievement of the week was.....POO.

See You all in a couple of weeks, when our Mid Challenge Challenge will be revealed.