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.
So as you all know, Molly was an odd rescue case!! Loaned to the Rda from a friend of mine (the lovely Rachel), Molly had become very grumpy and unhappy. So Jo and I took her in for a while to 'fix' her, before she went home. She settled in well with the herd, but objected to being tacked up. Initially she wolfed her food, but then refused it. She refused to wear a rug, and although ok with me, laid her ears back every time Jo touched her. Oh yes a challenge. She was a bit lean, tucked up from stress and full of thread worms. So we wormed her, and let her be. Jo made a point of spending time with her. After a few weeks, I took her out for a ride with the other big mares (see previous blog). Still not a happy girl. As she was trying to kick me while I slowly girthed her up, we decided she looked like a girl with ulcers. This was NOT the Molly I knew. So we put her on a daily feed of warm bran mash, with Ulcer Guard, Liquorice and Camomile....which she lapped up. Jo brought her out for her feed every day, so she could bond with her. Within a week the change was astounding. At last we had a happy horse! Unless we took Lily out of the field. Despite the others being there, and hay on offer, Molly still cleared the 5ft fencing to try and find Lil. We have always said, nothing over 14.2hh as we are set up for ponies. We put up a double fence 'Molly Baffler'. Landlord NOT happy!! The time was right for Molly to go home. Looking at the pictures when she arrived, compared to recent pics, the change was amazing. I always felt Molly was missing Rachel. Even when she seemed happy, there was sometimes a wistful look about her, like she wished she could go home. So Rachel came to collect her. She has settled in at home, like she had never been away, and has a new friend to hack her out, so its all turned out well. I miss her, peering over the fence, waiting for breakfast, but am happy to have returned a physically fixed horse to her owner.
Molly the day after she arrived.
Molly 3 months later. And so it snowed. Thankfully a tiny amount compared to last year!! We have been soo lucky. Kent (just across the Thames Estuary), Wales and the West Country seem to have suffered big time. We have been really lucky!
I have continued to work Charlie for the Top Barn 12 Week Challenge. We have had some fun...and some progress. I have discovered I have a Comedy Pony, who is very popular on the Top Barn site. Check out my You Tube Channel (as I am incapable of posting the vids on here!!). Anyway today showed the meaning of the Handler Lowering their energy. You may have heard this saying, and not understood it. Todays video (if you can find it) shows what it means.. Charlie got out of the wrong side of bed this morning. Maybe I did too. Anyway he started being pushy...which pushes my buttons...I start becoming less patient (my energy levels rise), he feels it as a challenge....and we have conflict. Some trainers relish conflict as a chance to exert their dominance. However I would rather have a partnership.....with mutual trust. I do not want to dominate my pony. I want us to work as a team. So time to walk away, take deep breaths, have a break. I chose to change what we were doing. As a friend had arrived, I was chatting away, as I tacked Charlie up. No pressure, my energy levels dropped.....and so Charlie relaxed and stood, loose, while I saddled and bridled him. And thats what trainers mean when they say Drop your Energy Level.
So everyone loves Lil. She seems to have had a great influence on the Mini herd. Dora, having no-one to bully seems to be calmer. They all seem to do their own thing, but Lil is definitely the one that moves the herd...very sweetly. So far she has taken everything in her stride, not phased by fly-spray, being caught, led about, tail-washing, or being led in a lesson. Rob who brings his daughter Nancy to ride (and has an allergy to horses and a morbid fear of Mini), is completely besotted and thinks she is the most stunning horse he has ever seen. He is ignoring his allergy and the very scary Mini, to spend time with Lil. The best thing for Jo and I is that at long long last Polly has a best friend. Lil and Polly have been grooming each other......something we have always longed for.
And even little Dora loves Lil...........
Speaking of the scary Mini....Poor little thing had a bout of gassy colic the other night. They say everything happens for a reason. The night before, I had been at a long and crazy party, and was unable to appear until late afternoon!!! What a good thing!! Mark the Mechanic and part-time Horse Whisperer and I went over late afternoon to put the hay out. As we drove up the drive, I could see Mini lying flat out away from the others and my colic radar went into overdrive. It pays to know your ponies, as a lot lay flat out.....but not Mini, she always lays like a dog. I left Mark delivering hay and went to check on her.....Fast breathing, rather warm and a bloaty tummy. Plus not getting up for the hay. Yup 100% colic....although the nearby droppings suggested it wasn't an impaction. I called Jo, who called the vet, and sat down to wait with Mini, while Mark went for Chips. Mini, very glad I was with her, gave a groan and lay her neck across my legs, while i cradled her head. Got a telling off from the Vet for that....she had a student with her, and had to point out health and safety regarding sitting with a colicky pony on your lap!! Anyway vet agreed it was gas colic, and 15 minutes after a shot of Buscopan and Bute, Mini was on her feet with Jo and I trying to keep her moving to 'fart it out'. Once Mark came back with fish and chips we all retired to the tack-room (Mini included). The pony showed no interest in a warm bran mash with fresh mint, but picked everything up off the table, tried to eat my fish, and then set about up-ending all the supplements!! By the time it was dark, we were satisfied it was safe to leave her. Not in the tack room obviously!! On a serious note.....Don't mess about with colic...even just gassy colic. Call the Vet! Buscopan relaxes the gut, Bute kills the pain. If its impaction a tubing will be needed. In my time at various yards I have seen horses die of colic. Remember they cannot be sick or burp. So Charlie has made huge progress this year. Having spent months on clicker training, he will stand wherever I put him, no matter where I go. We started with a cone to 'target', but now just saying 'stand' works. He's still a little unsure if I get on a mounting block, but we are working on that. I have been working on putting my foot in the stirrup (from the ground) for the last couple of weeks. If he moved I hopped about, only rewarding him, with a click, a treat and removing the foot, once he stood still. Having outgrown the little saddle, I have finally got him another saddle which doesn't slip, and he will now allow me to not only put my foot in the stirrup, but pull myself up to lean over him, without batting an eyelid. Time to swing that leg over!! This may seem like the longest time ever to break a pony, but working at snails speed is paying off. With my dodgy lungs and dicky ticker I can't afford numerous falls, or a battle. This way we have an amazing relationship, and at last he feels ready.
Woohoo its been warm!! Tee-shirt weather. The Daffs are everywhere, as are bumble bees at the moment. We have spring cleaned the hay shed and removed miles of tarpaulin that kept tripping us up. And we have been working the ponies. They have been naked and shedding winter coat at the speed of light. The fields look like a pillow fight in a kids dorm! Charlie has been long reining daily and is being a star. The other day I tripped over a molehill and face planted the ground. As I let go of the reins so as not to jab him in the mouth, he lept forward one stride, then came back for me. Many horses would have galloped off at high speed. He's also had a sack of bran on his back and me leaning over him at the mounting block again. My other half (Mark the Mechanic) has been working on a car at the yard all week with tools and blankets etc spread around. Charlie walked straight onto the blanket to eat the carrots I had left there. Later I rode Daisy over it with no hesitation. Madam Lu kicked up a fuss, but at last put one foot on it. Charlie is so nosy he stuck his head in the back of the van and also examined the engine. I hacked Daisy out Tuesday. Having not been ridden since about last October she was slightly excited. Having failed to get a girth around her I abandoned my english saddle and used the Western one, even though the breast plate is too big to do anything. I thought I had cinched it up tight enough. Anyway she jogged everywhere having a fine old time, while I lounged around and experimented with just hooking the reins over the horn so I didn't have to use my hands at all. Riding for the chronically lazy. I love it! On the way home, unusually she spooked at at pheasant. Then followed it up with a bronco bucking fit. That saddle is brilliant for bucking. You just don't move. Poor Daisy...she throws her all into it, but its still not unseating. I laughed all the way home. When I get off remembering to step down, the whole saddle swung with me. Guess my cinching needs to be a lot tighter!! Last weekend it was Poplar Park horse trials. They are the first biggish ones in the eventing calendar and Jo and I did a couple of hours on the gate....all in aid of the RDA. The weather was spring-like and we had a fine old time watching riders coming up and down the track.....either off to jump, or trudging back having finished. Pippa Funnell seemed to have so many rides, I asked her if she had a twin. She is a very nice lady, not to mention extremely talented, and introduced us to her horses each time she passed us (once every 10 minutes). I gather she did very well....So well done Pippa. We were able to watch a bit of show-jumping and walk the course which was very well built. I used to work at Poplar Park, and its a great course. Very undulating and sandy soil so always good underfoot. Always makes me want to jump again............
