Build The Ark, Summer Of Sport and Another Treasure Hunt

 And so to the Weather Forecast........For the rest of the month it will rain!  As it has done for the last week or so.  In between the rain there will be blustery showers, interspersed with Heavy Downpours causing flooding.  This time last year, our grass had become dust.  This year we have TOO much of it. Our lard (and lami) prone natives are a challenge, although with a combination of a Track System and Strip Grazing, we are holding our own. 

But it is Summer if in name only, so The International Horse Agility Club    https://www.thehorseagilityclub.com/join-the-club/  is holding its Annual Summer Of Sports.  As well as the usual monthly competitions there are loads of fun classes to enter over the next 2 months. These can be entered individually and as a team. Charlie and I are in a team called Brit Chicks Rock (or something like that). 

So far we have done Wild Agility .....basically obstacles in the 'Wild', and Act Your Shoe Size which is huge fun ......my entry can be viewed here : https://youtu.be/BnbrlTPrzvA .  

For the last week I was dog sitting for a friend.  And there is a Horse and Hound Class.....Can you see where I went with this?  We had a 20 minute practice where I realised the Pivo was not going to recognise a dog as a horse.  Especially when said horse was wandering around loose. I didn't have a Glamorous Assistant to hold on to the spare animal.  The Following day with only another 20 minutes to spare, I got it filmed from a distance, but both Charlie and borrowed doggo (Luna) were brilliant.  Except for the bit when Charlie wandered across in front of the camera.  Luckily he didn't stop and only blocked a part of the film where Luna and I were going from one obstacle to the next.  In case you are wondering I can't use my own dog.  As great as she is at Agility type stuff, she would try and eat Charlie. 

I am extremely proud of Charlie for getting 2 x 1sts in Junes Agility Competitions. With great scores.  As we have only recently moved up into Advanced I really can't ask any more. 

And what of The Top Barn Treasure Hunt? We completed our final miles in time, although our Horse Landlord decided to start concreting the bottom of the drive so we never did get out to get our Thatched Cottage and Pond.  Although someone did turn up on a bicycle.....the day after the Challenge ended. 

Huge congrats to those who did 200 miles, or found 50 treasures, or did both. I take my hat off to you all.  Now I am left with Treasure Tourettes.  The compulsive urge to shout out random words like "Butterfly" or "Ice Cream Van".  

But not to be left wandering round like deranged zombies, peering at houses to see if they are Edwardian, Rhi from Top Barn has devised Treasure Hunt pt 2, running through August and September.  I have to join. Even if Charlie is not ready to go hacking.  Even if I can't walk far.  Even if we may not complete the 5 new challenges (which all depends on actually leaving the Farm!). I still have to join.  If you want to join, this is hopefully the Link to Top Barn Online.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/topbarnonline

I'm hoping the links I have included will work.  I struggle with all this Social Media Linking stuff.  Too old innit.  So if you end up with the Bus Timetable for the No. 64 I do apologise. If they do work, perhaps you could check out this one and hit subscribe. For Charlie xx

https://www.youtube.com/@charliethetrickpony/featured

Whoa! Its Nearly October. A Visitor and Revelations!!

 Wow Its nearly October!! How did that happen???? So much happened in September my head is spinning!!!!!  So first we will start with the weather like a good Brit should.  It rained.  Off course it did!  I mean its Britain.  It always rains, except for June, July and August.  But finally it happened....and has been happening.  The temperatures have dropped severely and having got used to the high 20s / 30s we are now freezing at 13c today.  But the grass greened very quickly and although its growing again, we are still feeding hay.

The other major happening was Amanda Cowsill came to visit.  She brought the rain from oop North.  Literally in a glass jar, which we are keeping for the next drought.  But she also dragged the clouds with her.  And brought a massive insight about Charlie. On day one of her visit, she and her daughter Debbie came together.  Debbie and I bombed around on Lu and Daisy, while Amanda got to know Charlie.  They got on really well and he connected with her immediately, which is a really big deal, as for many years he wouldn't go near anyone else!!!!  Whats more Amanda addressed the problem I was having getting Charlie to sidepass.  All while Debbie and I were riding around at random on Lu and Daisy in a homemade 'school' measuring 15 x30. Ish.  Next I got on Charlie and we tried to move off.  At this point Amanda had an Eureka moment.  She sussed out why Charlie is OK with me mounting, but not OK with walking. She noticed he has non existent chest muscles and concluded with the extra weight on, he was frightened of falling over!!  Oh how did I not see this?? Its been apparent for a while that me sitting on him was cool, but moving off caused a problem.  I put it down to him being unsure as I wasn't in front of him. What with his poor eyesight and all.  I never noticed his weak chest.  He has great Topline and a big arse and muscled quarters, but thats no excuse to not notice that you could barely get a fag paper between his front legs!!!!   I feel terrible.  Especially as I have been here before with Harry, my ex stunt horse.

When i bought Harry he was only 5 years old, but had been a stunt horse. He had a reputation for being mean and dangerous.  I was sure it was a problem I could fix.  But Harry did not have a bad bone in his body.  He was so sweet and affectionate.  I would go into his stable while he was laying down and sit in the straw with him, and he'd lay his head on my lap.  But he could buck for England, big huge 'Get Off' bucks.  Or throw himself on the floor when he couldn't dislodge me ( I could ride in those days!!!!).  It got worse as he got older and I began to realise it was pain, not a mean temperament.  So the investigations began as he deteriorated to the point where he was lame and would pin me to the wall if i tried to rug him.  We discovered he had a broken vertebra that was sticking up, and so at 7 years old I had him PTS as there was nothing that could be done and he was in pain.   

So imagine how guilty I feel for not seeing that Charlie has a physical problem. Again I thought it was a mental problem.  I should have asked myself Why? But there we go. No point beating myself up even more.  Amanda has shown me some exercises to build up his chest muscles.  We have changed Farrier (not going into that, but they all needed a lot of work) and I have the fantastic Jade Monahan coming on Friday to do the Masterson Technique.

And so back to Amanda's visit.  On the Saturday, with Debbie working all weekend I went to Norwich and kidnapped Amanda.  Having put her to work poo-picking, I then took her to The Suffolk Punch Trust.  Amanda loves Suffolks, and being in Suffolk, we unsurprisingly have the biggest stud just down the road. We watched a demo in the indoor school.  Then the heavens opened. It poured. Tropically.  No-one could leave the school for at least half an hour! Including the demo horse and groom.  Who were at our mercy as we asked a million questions.  Did you know its about double cost to shoe a Suffolk!

When we were able to leave I took Amanda to Shingle Street, the weirdest beach ever, because it changes weekly due to the North Shore Drift.  Now I knew Amanda doesn't like the sea, whereas I love it and have a hobby/business beachcombing.  But she was keen.  Yup too keen. We scooped up a few hagstones, some seaglass (not usually found here, but just as I said that, Amanda pointed a piece out - which she possibly planted -) and made our way back to the car, where she tipped her 'finds' into my hands.  This included a 'Gold' chocolate coin!!!! Obvs this made me laugh.  Even more when I told Mark the Mechanic and Part Time Horse Whisperer that we had found gold on the beach and for half a split second he believed us!!

Amanda's visit went downhill from that moment!  We cannot have anyone stay at the house because our crazy Belgian Malinois likes to kill and eat visitors.  But we have a camper van.  The plan was to stay in the van somewhere nice.  But Mark was in the middle of welding it.  So lovely Leiston was the destination.  Leiston is not that bad, but I warned Amanda if anyone knocked on the door in the night to say she wasn't buying or selling.  We went into town and had fish n chips and by about 9pm I was knackered from having dodgy lungs and a dicky ticker and left Amanda to it.  

On Sunday things went downhill even further!!!! Yeah so we had breakfast at the Beach and the sun was shining. Great for a beach bum like me, but we already know beaches are not Amandas thing!!  Then it was off to work, picking up poo etc.  We had a short session with Charlie and then set off to a local nature reserve to check out the wild herd of Konig Ponies.  During the Summer they graze Aldeburgh Marshes and are easy to find.  But in Winter they are driven further up the coast to Minsmere Bird Reserve.  Which is massive!!!!   

We walked into the Visitor Centre to be greeted by several long lens cameras!!  Yes I thought as we shimmied down the steps.  Either they know we are here.....or they are excited over a rare feathered bird instead of The Lesser Spotted Great Northern Explorer !!!  They were looking at Finches or something equally common.  I inquired as to where the ponies were and we were pointed in a vague direction.  We walked about 5 miles (well it felt like that) checking out some bird hides along the way.  They were inhabited mostly by Great Bearded Tits getting excited over Ducks!!!!  While looking for the ponies we saw an Egret (although I have no idea if its rare here) and a Heron took off over our heads (definitely not rare here).   When we reached the gate to the Konigs ten square mile 'paddock', I looked through my phone camera at 30x.  I thought I saw something moving in the distance.  I also thought I saw a mountain lion (or maybe a Lemur).  So we walked alongside their perimeter another mile or so.....and found hay bales.   At this point I had walked way too far, and the walk back was slow to crawling.  We considered stealing someones off road mobility scooter, but they were still using it.  Another thought was Amanda dragging a bench with me laying on it.  But in true Brit Grit fashion I put one foot in front of the other and we made it back.  I bet Amanda was glad to get back to Norwich!!

So gluttons for punishment, Debbie and Amanda came back on Tuesday.  We were after visiting a Tack Shop.  But first we went for lunch at a local Riding Centre, which has a great cafe, and you can eat lunch while watching their Camel grazing with the ponies.  So we rocked up in the Cafe.  We ordered food.  "So wheres the Camel?" I asked.  "He died" whispered the waitress.  Oh No!!!! 2nd Fail!!!  Still we found a tack shop via Debbie's highly intelligent talking car.  And hopefully we had a laugh.....even if a few things didn't go to plan!!!

So since Amanda has left I have been working on Charlies's chest with excercises and lateral work. Co-incidentally the LHS task on Top Barn Level 3 was turn on the Haunches and Turn On the Forehand. We had a go. Charlie has never been good at Turn on The Haunches and left a leg behind, as well as doing more of a 'Turn on The Belly', but its been a good excercise.  In better news we did real good in The International Horse Agility August competitions, getting a First in the On-Line First Level, a 2nd in Liberty and a 2nd and a 4th in The Summer Of Sports competitions.  We have been working on the September Competitions.....and Daisy is sound so we have been on a short hack!

October promises to be an exciting month, so tune in next month!

Back To Normal Whatever That Is and A New Book (Shameless Plug)

 At last I was released from prison (I mean hospital). The first thing I did was get a decent coffee from Costa. I had hoped to see Charlie on the way home but predictably we got caught in an hour long traffic jam, so it was dark when we finally arrived back in Suffolk.   For those that don't know I have Dodgy Lungs and a Dicky Ticker. Back in July I had a line fitted into my heart and received IV drugs via a sexy pump worn at my waist. I hated it. My body hated it and the side effects meant I was constantly throwing up, having headaches, muscle aches and hot flushes. On top of that the pump was incredibly annoying and my heart was rejecting the line. I had a choice of having it re-positioned and taking anti rejection drugs, or having it removed which the hospital did not recommend. Obviously I chose to have the damn thing taken out.  Apparently I may suffer "Sudden Decline" but my body has spoken!  On top of that I did some research.  Apparently in Canada they are removing IV lines in favour of the Oral drug that I have gone back to. Its a newish drug ( I did the Drug Trial for it originally) so no-one actually knows the long term benefits. That's good enough for me. The side effects are unpleasant (mostly headaches and large muscle aches in my case), and daily, but only last 3 hours or so. I feel I have a life back. I can have a shower and actually get wet at the same time.  In fact I can get wet full stop. I don't have a stupid pump constantly bleeping when something goes wrong, I don't have to spend half an hour a day mixing drugs and I can roll over in bed without risking pulling the line out. And best of all I can ride without worrying about the consequences of a fall (apart from gasping for air or passing out). 

While I was in hospital I finished the book I started earlier in the year when I was incarcerated having the line put it.  So it wasn't a total waste of time!  its called Tails From the RDA (about the 10 years I spent as Yard Manager at Hollesley RDA). I screwed up the formatting (Word has never been my strong point) but the book is available on Kindle (Oh the shameless plugging!!!).  There will be a paperback, with photos when I get my head round formatting.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09M7WCKSJ/ref=as_sl_pc_tf_til?tag=horsea-21&linkCode=w00&linkId=828cfe289db61b84b660826dc4a1db9e&creativeASIN=B09M7WCKSJ

I'm so crap at this stuff I don't even know if the link I have just posted will work!

Anyway, so at last I got home. Didn't know weather to stuff my face with actual edible food, or open the exciting post from Top Barn first. I did both. While I was away my rosettes from the Handy Pony and The Halloween Comp had arrived!

Having been told to "do nothing strenuous" and "keep heart rate below 100bmp" for 6 weeks, I raced to the Farm early the next day.  Charlie was gratifyingly happy to see me, nickering and racing to the gate. However after a long long cuddle and lots of muddy mustache kisses he buggered off back to his friends.  When presented with his rosettes he wouldn't let me attach them to his headcollar, viewing them much as I would if presented with a large hairy spider.  Daisy was much more accommodating, wearing what is probably her first rosette ever. 

So the last week I have been "taking it easy", having breakfast with Charlie and working on some patterns and basic leading. I have recorded the metres covered on Equilab, but even I realise now that finishing those 100 miles before xmas is impossible!  I am aiming for 50 miles instead.  So thats half the distance in twice the time! Impressive hey?

But as I am starting to feel stronger the pull of those points for the Top Barn league are calling.  Is it possible to still do the Jumping Classes? I have 5 days. Can I get Charlie jumping in hand in that time?  He can certainly jump, but is not too keen on lunging. And what about Daisy?  She absolutely does not jump. But maybe the patterns are possible in the poles only class? She will probably buck, but without the pump who cares? Will i give it a go? Come back in a couple of weeks to find out!

Winter Grazing, Feral Charlie, and Top Barn 2020

First Published 7/11/19

Wow Where has this year gone??  It seems 5 minutes ago since we were barefoot and in shorts.  Now its Waterproof trousers and Winter woolies!! I have looked at the Wood Burner in the Tack Room at least twice recently with the thought of lighting it.

In a matter of weeks, the Ponies have devoured the 'Bowling Green' aka The Future Campsite side of the 4 Acre and have moved onto the rough side. The permanent Winter Grazing. Knee high in standing hay and weeds, which I like to call 'Herbage'.  The Biggies (Charlie, Lu and Daisy) have already bared it enough to stop playing "Spot The Poop".

They had their first Winter hay today. The Mini Herd still have a way to go, despite eating for England. They are all a little fat. Not a bad place to be this time of year.  They all have enough Winter coat and fat to get them through the cold season.  Living in this natural fashion, they will thrive in the Winter months without feeling cold or hungry. Not sure the maids will do do well!!

While Charlie was out on the Hill Field with Lu, he became a little feral again.
Having spent the Summer learning tricks, having me get on him, ride up the drive etc, its now time to work in the Round Pen again. Being part of a trick group, I set out to make a video about static targets (cones), and how the Pony will stand by the cone while he is groomed and tacked up. Charlie had other ideas. See YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVqsTnk2Q-w

So its seems we are back a few steps. Again!  Hey Ho...Watch this space.

The Top Barn Challenge is back!! Charlie and i had a blast last (this) year. The Idea is to accept the challenge to work with your Horse for a certain amount of hours each week in deepest darkest Winter for 12 weeks.  This is designed to motivate during the Dark months. It starts in January 2020. There are Mini Challenges to complete.  There are prizes....but the real prize is self challenge. This year I have entered with both Charlie and Lily (what was I thinking). My personal challenge is to be riding both of them by March.  Jo has entered with Lulu.
Again....Watch this space!!

We also have a challenge this Winter to set up BET. Blossoms Equine Therapy. We aim to provide Equine Therapy for children with Autism and other Learning Difficulties.  While not ready yet, we already have Ellen and Byron, who are helping us. They are both teenagers with High Functioning Autism and we are very grateful for their input.

Byron learning to Long Rein with Daisy

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. 

Wild Wind and Weird Worms!

Yep, and first to the weather report, which is not news as its already happened!!!  Its been Wild and Windy.  First we had Storm Freya, now its Storm Gareth.....although if there was a gap between them I missed it! It was so strong yesterday it moved the tractor!!  

Bad Hair Day for Charlie!









And now onto the more interesting subject.....Weird Worms!  So on Sunday Jo found some worms in Daisys droppings.  We don't have worms. We poo pick daily, and the only time we have ever had worms is when Molly first arrived. I wasn't there, so Jo saved 3 for me to look at (like you do haha).  My first thought was Earth Worms......Except they weren't red. And all 3 were a bit different.

With all our years experience Jo and I have seen most horse worms....but not these! Ask Google. The nearest image comparison was Round Worms....except they are normally only found in youngsters, and at 19 Daisy is hardly young!!

In the interest of science, we collected some Earth Worms from the muck heap. I wondered if Earth Worms went white when they died. So I popped them into a jar of water....mostly to stop them wriggling away, but also to see if they drowned and therefore lost their colour.  You know if you chop a worm in half you just end up with 2 worms?  Well they can also live in water! They must be a form of zombie!

So we put them with the dead worms from Daisys droppings and quickly photographed them, before they started eating them. Just in case you are slightly interested, we them released them into the wild, totally un-harmed! 

Still baffled we phoned the Vets, who asked us to email the pics through.  Result? A bunch of equally baffled vets! The older Vets asked the younger Vets, who may still have some memory of Uni and an encyclopedic memory of Worms. No-one knew what they were, and we all came to the conclusion that they were indeed some Mutant Albino strain of Earth Worm! As it was raining, they had moved up into the droppings, but as at this point they were mutant zombie worms, they did not scuttle back down a hole the minute the droppings were moved.  Why only Daisys Droppings?  Answers on a postcard please!  I think its because she has EMS, and therefore more insulin in her droppings, but the Vet suggested it was just because they were bigger, therefore warmer. 
Luckily for you dear Reader, I have already deleted the pics from my phone!!!

Remember I entered an On-Line Horse Show last month?  I didn't realise they existed, but the Top Barn Challenge has enlightened me.  So I entered a pic of Charlie in The Muckiest Pony class.  To my delight he came 2nd out of about 20 entries, and I am absurdly proud of his first rosette!!!

Sadly the Top Barn 12 Week Challenge is coming to an end.  We are now on Week 10.  Its been a brilliantly inspiring group, with the most encouraging group of horsey people I have ever come across.  People have faced their fears head on, and worked in some appalling weather, to get their hours in. No one on the group will ever say again, "Its too cold, wet, dark, muddy, windy, snowy" etc.  So in the spirit of the Challenge, I ignored Storm Gareth with his 50mph winds and worked Charlie with a hoop yesterday (well ok....its a piece of hose-pipe taped up).  We had a blast!!  Storm? Pffff!!

This may or may not be a link to the video!!!!
https://youtu.be/OfJDvlz2aN0