The New Normal, A Feral Pony, Football Mania, and The Top Barn Show.

 Well its all been happening!!! I got the call from Papworth to go in and have my Hickman Line fitted.  I was held captive for 2 whole weeks!!! And I mean held captive. Due to Covid, I was literally stuck in my room the whole 2 weeks, except for the day a nurse felt sorry for me and snuck me outside for 10 minutes. I was literally pacing the room (all of 3m x 5m), and was thinking how a stabled horse must feel.  Although I am pretty feral, I am after all a Human Being and designed to live indoors. However, horses are designed to live outdoors, and in a herd. I also had stuff to occupy me mentally. Reading, Binge watching Heartland, I even learned to French Knit!  But a horse does not have that luxury. If i was box walking, imagine how they feel.....no wonder stabled horses develop "vices". 

Anyhoo, I am now attached 24/7 to a pump (called Paddy Pump after my old pony). I wear it in a fetching Bum-Bag or an elasticated "pocket" at all times. It pumps drugs up a line which dives through a hole in my chest, into my heart. Its a pain in the arse, and I now spend at least half an hour a day changing the line and mixing new drugs. But I do believe I am starting to feel a little better, and am not panting like a sex phone line worker at the slightest exertion. If you are squeamish, please scroll through the next pic.  This is the New Normal.

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We had set up a track system before I left, in The 3 Acre.  Big Ponies to the right, Minis to the left.  But typically the Big Herd, couldn't wait for Jo to expand their grazing so barged out, breaking yet more expensive plastic poles. So Jo let them out into the middle ground, while poo-picking and rearranging the fence configuration. And so Charlie became feral, refusing to be caught, and spending at least one night alone in the middle knee deep in grass. He had become allergic to his headcollar.  When I came back, I childishly expected him to have missed me as much as I had missed him. In my fantasy, he galloped over, jumping up and whickering (like the dog had). In reality though, he accepted a scratch and blew through his nostrils, before returning to the more important grass.

I thought it may take a while to re-tame him. Coinciding with Football mania in England, The Trick Academy had a challenge to send in ball playing pony vids. I donned my England shirt, blew up an inflatable ball, collected my England Flag and set off to the Field to make a video with the Feral Charlie. As expected his head-collar allergy was still there, so I pottered about with the ball and flag, and his curiosity got the better of him.  Soon we were playing Football and waving flags. Charlie the Trick Pony is back!

Now I have a real challenge on my hands!! Whilst bored in Hospital, I entered the Top Barn July Competitions.  I must have been High on painkillers!!!! I have entered the Groundwork Comp, which includes lunging.  Charlie DOES NOT lunge!!! Errr...so thats 2 weeks to teach him then! Big challenge as he prefers to work at Liberty and being partially sighted in his O/S eye, he like to stick with me, rather than move away. Hmmm.  I also entered Prettiest Head. Well I think he has a beautiful head!  And then I entered Best Pony. Get pony bathed, Yup, Get Dressed Up, Yup, Walk, Trot (maybe Yup, the drugs should allow me to run a little), but before my incarceration I literally hacked off his mane in case it was blazing hot. Now I have to figure out a way to plait a thick short stubby main 😅

The Top Barn 12 Week Challenge

So I got invited to the Top Barn 12 Week Challenge on Faceache. Its a brilliant idea.  There is limited sign up.....About a thousand of us. You commit to a certain amount of Horsemanship Hours a week... I chose Bronze Level which is only 3 hours a week....But as I am doing Groundwork with a goal to ride with Charlie, its plenty.  There is a worksheet to fill in.  There are also Mini Challenges to be done. On the Groundwork Challenge this ranges from Lunging a few circuits, to teaching the horse to lay down on command!

In January when the daylight hours are limited, and its cold, this is great motivation!!  What a brilliant idea.  There is a competition. At the end of the 12 weeks, the admin will trawl through the millions of hours of uploaded vids and chose a winner for a weeks holiday at Top Barn in Gloucestershire. 

I have never come across such a supportive ( and motivated) group on line.  The levels of horsemanship range from first time owners to experienced competitors. Everyone has a demon, or challenge to conquer.  Across the land brave pants are coming out. And people are killing off Mobile Phones while trying to video such bravery.

With this motivation, I have worked Charlie almost every day. I am making videos which can be seen on my You Tube Channel....Not sure how you find it....but they are ending up on our Facebook page, East Suffolk Ponies. By the end of this challenge I may be riding Charlie, if not I will be a proficient Video Editor...even if I have no clue how to share the links !!!!!

In the meantime.....a photo LOL!!!