Winter Has Arrived - To Rug Or Not To Rug, And Its Nearly Time For The Top Barn Challenge

 So Winter has definitely arrived. A lot of the country has already had snow.  Here in the far East of England the snow has kept away (although some is threatened for tonight).  But its been frosty to say the least. Minus temperatures at night and only just above freezing during the day.  The ice has stayed on the ground with more ice added each night.  Taps and fingers have frozen.  And of course, the tractor sprung a major leak at the Weekend and suddenly spewed forth a lot of coloured liquid. Right in the gateway.  I feared it may have been the radiator. Jo and I quickly moved the Hay by hand before we had a riot on our hands, while trying to figure out how to move the stricken tractor.  Luckily for us Rob, Meg and Nancy arrived to help. Rob had a taste of the liquid on the floor and decided it was not anti-freeze. We looked under the bonnet and found a tube off. After some discussion we decided it was a pipe taking diesel to the Filter and so wasn't terminal.  Rob had another glug, but we were not 100% sure, however all the other important fluid levels were still full, so we risked firing it up and moving it out of the way.  Thank you Rob, Meg and Nancy for poo-picking with your car.  Our mechanically minded Horse Landlord confirmed it was just a diesel leak, so its all good!

And so to the main question......To Rug or Not To Rug.  I am a great believer in Not Rugging. Obviously if your horse is elderly, clipped or struggles to keep weight on, then go ahead, rug away. However...... If you have a fit, unclipped healthy horse, it does not need a rug. It takes away a huge amount of stress for you and your horse if you leave him as nature intended. Don't forget, horses survived the Ice Age!

So while as humans we are all freezing and wearing as many layers as we can move in, our horses are not feeling the cold. Apparently a human is comfortable between 25c and 30c.  That means we do not use energy to keep warm at those temperatures.  Although most of us in England would agree we are more than happy around 18c, and 30c is a tad hot!  Its called a Thermoneutral Zone.

Horses have a much larger Thermoneutral Zone. They are comfortable between 0c and 25c.  Horses also have an internal 'fire' which is stoked up by the fermentation of fibre in the hindgut (Ie....Hay Hay Hay).  If the Horse has his natural coat, it is waterproof and provides as much heat to the skin as a 400g rug. Horse hair also stands up when its cold, creating an insulating pocket of air next to the skin.  A rug will press this hair down and eliminate the natural coats ability to retain heat. When checking how warm your horse is, forget the ears.  Horses are designed to leave the extremities cold to direct the heat to the organs. Feel under the armpits!  Also if your horse is covered in snow which is not melting, you can be sure he is well insulated.  If you over rug your horse, not only will he be uncomfortable, he will also be prone to EMS and Laminitus. 

Our ponies are all natives, unclipped, unrugged and live out 24/7.  This is the most natural life we can give them.  They do not have hard feed. They do however have plenty of hay. They are all happy, warm and do not have 'problems' that many pampered horses have.  Yes they will drop weight this winter (hopefully), but that is natural, ensuring that when the spring grass comes around, they will not suffer Laminitus etc.  This includes Daisy (who had EMS) and Coco who the vet diagnosed with Cushings, but who is doing fine this Winter.  And we can sleep at night, knowing they are all fine, no matter what the weather throws at them.  

In the 2nd pic you can see Charlies hairs standing up doing their job.

Anyway enough lecturing! So last months Agility Comps were a little hard. Having moved up a level, Charlie and I had a lot to learn.  There were a few poles to step over, and back up over.  Being a hard nut (partially blind) Coblet, he has the tendency to plough through stuff! Poles? What Poles? Oh Yeah, I'll just kick em out of the way!  We also had a lot of wind, which kept blowing my course over. So I was hugely surprised that we got another 1st in the On-Line Medium Level Comp and 3rd in the Liberty.  We are currently working on The December Xmas Courses. They are fun and involve dressing up which we love. I would like soft ground though for Charlies enthusiastic jump!  There is a lot of running in our level!! I couldn't beat a snail for a seat on a bus with my Dodgy Lungs and Dicky Ticker, so next year we will be swerving sideways and joining the Walk Only Leagues. My November Rosettes arrived today.  I showed them to Charlie, but he was busy eating!

And so its nearly time for the Big Event!  No Not Christmas! Its just a day like any other.  Get up early and see to the horses!  No, I'm talking about The Top Barn 2023 Winter Challenge.  I have already printed off the worksheets and put them in Charlies File.  I know a lot of people have got the diaries.  Others will have computer based spreadsheets. Being old I prefer to write stuff down with a pen!

I have declared Bronze, but will aim for Silver.  Charlie and I have a lot of stuff to work on.  As well as The Agility Stuff, we have also been building up Charlies chest muscles. He is definitely looking more muscular, so its time to try and ride him again! 

Good Luck everyone taking part in the Challenge. 

Meeting TopBarners and More Agility

 It seems like ages since I last updated all 30 odd of you.  So Sorry. I seem to have been buzzing like a bee. 

Anyways going back to June. I may have mentioned Summer was a late starter.  It rained.... A Lot!  As a result our grass was green.  Inevitably just as I was starting the Top Barn 100 mile Stage of The Summer Challenge (Which involved me clocking up the miles on Daisy while leading Charlie), Daisy went lame. Nothing major, but as she has EMS she has a problem processing sugar. Green Grass = Sugar = Daisy gets a touch of Laminitus!  We immediately cut back the daily allowance of new grass along the track system.  Daisy was booted (and buted) and we had to feed hay to fill up their bellies, instead of grass.  Oh how we moaned and groaned....feeding Hay in June blah blah.

So short of some sort of miracle, where Charlie was happy to be ridden for more than 5 seconds, or my lungs were suddenly restored to that of a 60 year old,  The 100 Mile Challenge was no longer. Still I was happy that we had completed 3 stages of the Challenge, and set about the Agility.

Having passed the Stage One Agility, I joined the Club and enrolled on Stage 2. Where we have been stuck for an Eternity, or so it seems. The Blueprint goes like this.....Walk forward with Horse on a Loose rope, Horse must take first step. Halt on command with a loose rope...yeah yeah no worries.  Move to end of rope and count to 3. Horse must not move!  Well that's just way too far away as far as Charlie is concerned. After some 700 million attempts, he will now just about wait 3 Seconds.  So on to backing up.  A gap in our training has appeared. If I look at Charlie, point a finger and say "Back up" he will. For as long as I want.  BUT.  I have to be beside him and we move back together. After another 700 million tries we have nearly got it.  We are both bored now!

And so we will set this aside, and play with the Obstacle course which is far more fun. And I have neglected the saddling and mounting, so its back to that next week.  Daisy is sound again, so we can continue getting out and about with Charlie in tow. Anyone fancy a hack?  

So with the Top Barn Summer Challenge done as far as I could, and all the other stresses building up (mostly my Nurse Ratchett approach to looking after my Mother), I decided on a road trip.  I have known Amanda before Top Barn.  We 'met' on The Horse Tricks Club site 4 years ago. Both being Brits and both having 'difficult' ponies we clicked. I invited her to join Top Barn a couple of years ago.  Throughout all my stays in hospital Amanda has been my rock, checking in with me daily.  As I live in East Suffolk and Amanda is in Co. Durham it was a bit of a trek.  But as I had a day trip to Papworth Hospital booked in, I decided as it was 1.5 hours nearer, it was the ideal springboard for a visit.

After all the usual prodding and poking, I headed North up the A1.  Having stopped at the familiar Ferrybridge services (near Leeds) I thought I must be nearly there.  I put the Sat Nav on at that point and was gobsmacked when it informed me to stay on the A1M for the next 57 miles!!  Eventually i arrived in Co. Durham and found Amanda and her husband Colin at their small-holding.  I met Shadow (he is Enormous) and some rather scary bullocks! Amanda stayed with me the night at the Small-holding and we did a little Wild Camping. Coffee brewing on the Twig Burner and home cooked treats from Amanda. Bear Gryllls  eat your heart out!!  Next day we went back to Amanda's house and chewed the cud some more.  I really didn't want to leave. But I had to be home that night ready for Nurse Ratchett duties the next day. And so with a brief stop at Seaham for some sea-glass hunting (But that's my other life), I drove and drove.

I staggered back into reality like a Zombie.  By the end of the week, just as I was feeling nearly normal a shout out went out on Top Barn from Paula Gough.  Did anyone live near Lowestoft as she was on holiday. Well Yep we were on her way home, so Paula came to visit the ponies.  I think this should become a thing. Any Top Barner on holiday should shout out where they are and visit another Top Barner.  We could become a group of Top Barnarners!!

BTW If anyone is interested.....I still have a lump on my eyebrow!!

Autumn Has Arrived, The Handy Pony Comp and Daisy The Highland

 And just like that Autumn has arrived!!! One day we were still sweltering in 24c and the next? Torrential rain arrived on 40mph winds! I think the shorts and crocs have been firmly put away for the next six months now. Of course we were moaning about the drought.  At least the fields are looking slightly less yellow.  Too late for the Bigger Ponies though, who quickly ran out of grass on The Hill Field and had to be moved onto the Winter Grazing.

Before the rain came, I had been sawing, screwing and painting for our Handy Pony Course.  My imagination may have ran away with me, and I may have bought a 2ft blow up alien and a Childs sledge!!!!  Jo and I had a practice with Charlie and Lu for the In-Hand Class.  They were both amazing, wearing Full Harness and dragging Hay nets full of clothing for the first time. Charlie was so chilled I even got on him for the first time since April. He immediately un-chilled and although the explosion of bucks never happened, he was very fidgety.

Jo wanted to practice her Ridden Entry, so I got Daisy in to keep her company. This sweet old mare did so well and enjoyed herself so much, I have entered the Ridden Class with her as well. Whilst editing the videos, I realised how much fun Daisy can be, and decided to 'share' her with Shaneece-Who-Helps-On-Saturdays.  Not only will this give me my riding muscles back, it will also give Daisy hers back too.  I have even had her in for a short schooling session this week (before the storms came).

For those that don't know Daisy, she a a 14.2hh Highland Mare, aged about 21???? Jo will confirm her age.  Jo rescued her from a horrible life that she spent in solitary confinement, about 7 years ago.  She was shut down, angry and horribly overweight.  Although we got the weight off her, she kept developing sudden onset Laminitis, one bout we nearly lost her as her Pedal Bones rotated in all four feet.  Blood tests confirmed she had EMS. 

With the help of a brilliant Farrier, and Jo researching everything about EMS we got her sound. And have kept her sound ever since.  The anger disappeared very quickly with lots of love and being kept out in a herd and she is the sweetest most loving mare. She is pretty bombproof, but has absolutely no brakes whatsoever and can have some frilly moments, cantering on the spot and plunging. But nothing malicious at all. I am so looking forward to doing more with her when these storms blow out.

Life As We Know It!!! And 25 Things

So, nearly the end of April.....and life is still weird!! In fact with 6 ponies to look after every day, life is actually pretty normal for Jo and I.  Except it isn't! 
Everything seems in slow motion.  Its blissfully quiet at the Farm, with a lot less traffic going past on the road. April has given us warm weather, vast blue skies and nature in abundance.  Its almost like everything is in HD.  And we seem to have slowed down too. Not in the sense of getting the basic work done.  In that respect we have got it down quick. But it almost seems we get done and go home.....as if being outdoors for too long is dangerous, or illegal! 

With me being one of these boring people that are supposed to be shielded, everyone is avoiding us.  Its OK to come up.  We are missing you all.  Just treat me as if I have the plague....and don't be offended if I stay 12ft away from you at all times, wearing a bandanna.  We have soap, hand-sanitizer, buckets of bleach and a system for scolding the cups every day.  I have my own towel and will not touch anything anyone may have accidentally picked up.  The ponies would love to see someone else!! As would we!

The Ponies are of course unaware that the World As We Know It has changed. Although they may be missing certain people.  Mini has asked me where Nancy is!!  They could all do with baths!! Any volunteers???

Daisy is in self isolation...of a fashion.  Although fit and well, we are so scared she may get into trouble with the Spring grass, that we have confined her to a Pen within the Hill Field.  The Minis surround her, and she spends a couple of hours each day out with them having a bit of grass, before returning to her pen with a feed full of EMS fighting supplements and 3 soaked hay-nets.

Its a Catch 22 really.  She could do with the exercise right now, and its a brilliant time with the roads so quiet to hack out.  Just fighting with the guilt of What If?  Its ridiculous. I have never even come close to coming off Daisy, and of all the falls I have had, over a lifetime of competing and working with horses, the last time I ended up in A&E was when I was 17! 35 years ago!!!  Ridiculous but there's always Sods Law!!!  Jo had never fallen off Lu, ever, until last week, when a sudden spook n spin unseated her.  Shes Ok, but had a huge bruise and now has protesting back muscles.  Not to mention the fact that before the pesky chest infection in Jan/Feb that floored me, I had high hopes of riding The Gypsy Cobs by now!! 

But anyway....Worst Things Happen At Sea and all that!!  So I have been steadily working on a series of short videos called 25 Things to do With Your Horse on The Ground.  I have just posted Number 9 entitled 'SMILE'.  If you missed them (shame on you 😊), I have covered #1 Hang Out, #2 Lunch Date,
#3 Lunging, #4 Follow Me, #5 Begin Clicker Training, #6 Correct Leading, #7 Ground Tie, and #8 Long Reining.  Still to come is Parking At the Mounting Block, Pole work, Backing, Teaching Pick-Up and more (12 more if my math is correct, which is highly doubtful).  

So check out YouTube UCLYQBYhWqo_WPVdz9MFkCtA.  Please hit the subscribe button. 🙏 I only have 12 subscribers 😩.  It doesn't cost anything to subscribe. But once i get a 1000 subscribers I can monetize the videos and that could pay for next years hay!!!

Yours beggingly
xx

https://youtu.be/nnhrn4XVQOE

Spring is Springing, A Hack, and The Horse That Will Not Back Up

Dare I say it????? Spring Seems to be Springing!!!  Today both Chanice (Who Helps on Saturdays Which Is Now Sundays) and I were both down to T-Shirts by the end of the morning!!!  I also stripped off to a T-shirt on Wednesday which reminded me I should start wearing a bra again!!!  I have been bra-less since cracking my ribs as the band pushed against the cracks and hurt. 

And so Monday was a momentous occasion.  Jo and I hacked out on Lu and Daisy together!!!! For the first time since last April, after which she went lame with the most horrendous bout of laminitus caused by her EMS.  For those who have not followed the blog, we spent months getting her right, padded back to front shoes, homeopathy, steamed hay, a restricted paddock etc, only for her to get an abcess in a hind, which took weeks of cutting back and poulticing. We then started to work on building up her lost muscles in hand. I crazed the Farrier to let me ride her, but he didn't want us to rush things. Considering the Vet said we may never be able to ride her again, and we had even booked the Knackerman, initially thinking the abcess was a pulled Suspensory Ligament, I was patient.  As soon as she was given to all clear to be ridden I went down with my Heart damaging Chest Infection.  Meg rode her a couple of times.

Finally on Monday I felt well enough to give it a go!!  It was a lovely ride. It felt so good to be out on Daisy again.  She jogged and strode out, ears pricked and thoroughly enjoyed herself. I was so happy to be doing something that at one time I didn't think I would be doing again. She may have no brakes, little steering and the odd frilly moment, but I love her to bits, and being able to hack her out again is a dream come true. There is a very edited video to watch on East Suffolk Ponies Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/charliehorseandfriends/?ref=aymt_homepage

Jo and Lulu are still going strong in The Top Barn Challenge.  There is one Plus Challenge we cannot get Lu to do, and that's back up in a semi circle.  All the others will back up easily. While playing with the Mini Herd, in their paddock perfecting them saying "Please", I checked them backing up. Yup they all do it on command.  I had Charlie in on Tuesday, running through our tricks, and starting the foundation of a new trick. I asked him to back a semi circle, loose and with my hands in my pocket. Yup...No problem! But Lulu? No way. I have never met a horse that will not yield to pressure. Until Lu. Most horses will back away from a finger in the chest, or a little pressure on the lead rope. Failing that swinging a rope towards them, or walking towards them with purpose will work. The idea being to get the pressure down to just moving a foot towards them will cause them to a back up a step, or just using the words "Back Up".

Lu WILL NOT submit to anything!!  A poke in the chest results in her walking forwards. A waggle of the rope.....Nothing. Pressure on the lead rope may get 2 or 3 backwards steps, but that's it. Getting really dominant just provokes her into barging into you, ears back. We have come to the conclusion that she is THE most dominant mare ever.  She is most definitely the herd leader, and does not expect even the humans in the herd to tell her where to place her feet.  It would be a problem except in all other ways she is polite and respectful. I guess backing is just a step too far!

The weekend finished well, with a friend from school visiting and having her first ever hack on Daisy, accompanied by Jo and Lu, Nancy and Mini (with Meg) and myself leading Charlie.  Today Chanice (who helps on Sundays now) rode Daisy and lead Mini as an experiment which all went well.

There is a new Trick Video available on YouTube https://youtu.be/eqgl0IM9Aqw

Teeth And Feet, Tricks And Worries

First Published 28 Sept 2019

OMG What a week its been!!! Daisy having been as sound as a pound, suddenly became hopping lame on her Off-side Hind.  We sent a video to the Vet, who thought it might be an abscess.  We poulticed it. Nothing. Judging by the way she was limping we feared it may be a pulled Suspensory Ligament. Not good,
as she would be putting a strain on her other hind. As she has lost a lot of muscle, due to her confinement, due to rotated Pedal Bones, due to her EMS, we feared the ligaments in her other hind would give out.  We were very doom and gloom. Jo and I love Daisy to the moon and back. She had a hard life before Jo bought her, and she is the most grateful and loving pony.

The Vet came out Wednesday to do Teeth rasping.  Having examined Daisy, she feared we may be right in our fears ....however being a good Vet, recommended an X-ray to be sure, just in case it was a abscess.  Charlie, Daisy, Lu and Lily were duly rasped. All were well behaved. In fact I would go as far to say that Charlie actually enjoyed it. Lily was sedated,as it was her first time away from WHW and they always sedate.  Lil spent a couple of hours in La-La Land! Mini and Dora however needed another visit with the Electric Rasp.

So the Vet came back today. I was actually away at a Funeral, but I spoke to Jo asap.  X-rays showed that Daisy has in fact a deep abscess. Boy was I relieved to hear that.  Its deep, and its a long shot, but we may be able to sort it!
Meanwhile both Mini and Dora were sedated and electronically rasped. Mini had a tooth abscess (ouch, we have all had them), and Dora has really odd teeth.

Dora in particular can be a little Shit.  We have now had her back checked, her saddle checked, put her in a Bitless Bridle and had her teeth done.  These are always the first things to check if a pony is mis-behaving. Teeth, back, tack....and Ulcers. We are fairly certain she doesn't have Ulcers, as she lives out and has a diet of Forage only.  So now we are sure she is not in pain, if shes still a little Shit, then so be it, thats what she is.  I love Dora.  She is feisty. She is a Wild Child.  Horses should be allowed to have a personality!! 

Meanwhile I have been continuing with the Trick Training. Lily is really interested. Videos are on YouTube of our progress.  Charlie who has been doing it longer, has just learnt to remove my hat! Check it out.

New Shoes For Daisy, Vets, Rain, Blood Tests and Aussie Stock Saddles (Blame Karl Greenwood)

Whoa Its been so busy!! As I may have mentioned, Daisy has been slightly lame. Only in trot, and only on one leg, but as she has EMS we feared the dreaded Laminitis had struck again.  So she has been in a small bare pen with soaked hay. After 2 weeks we began wondering if she had a abscess.  So we had the Vet out for X-rays.  Sadly we were right the first time and her Pedal bones have rotated slightly. This is so unfair. We are very careful with her grass time and she is not over-weight.  However when Jo rescued her she was seriously obese and had had Laminitis several times.  This had caused the EMS (which is similar to Type 2 Diabetes in humans).  This means she is prone to Laminitis as she can't metabolise any sugar efficiently.  We have had a very wet Spring and the grass has gone mad. Even though our grazing is old and established and very coarse and diverse with 'weeds', flowers, thistles, clover, dandelions and nettles, it has proven too much for Daisy. This is a huge problem all over Britain for people with Native Ponies.  In the wild all our Natives would walk at least 20 miles a day, browsing on heathland or hills.  No matter what we do with our paddocks, the grass is too lush at this time of year. No-one in this country has miles of grazing.  And once the pony is lame, exercise is a out of the question. 

So after the x-rays, we had the Farrier out again.  Daisy had shoes put on back to front, then a temporary pad which was filled with...er filler! This will support the Pedal bone.  She is still in her small dirt pen, with soaked hay, and seems happy enough.  The rest of the herd ajoin her pen. We decided against stabling her, as she hates it, and gets stressed, box walks, destroys her bedding and is prone to ulcers. 

While the Vet was with us, Charlie had a blood test to check his Testosterone levels. The Vet had a rummage which he enjoyed and could feel something, which may be scar tissue......or maybe something left.  I am still waiting for the results.  It makes no difference to me. But its just curiosity. Is He just a late cut boy with attitude or a rig?  My old pony Paddy, had stem left, and while he sometimes acted like a Stallion, it caused him no harm. 

Although this is Not a Weather channel, I am British, so am therefore compelled to state that this June has been a washout. Its rained, rained and then some.  However (as I am British), I am not complaining. I DO NOT want a repeat of last years prolonged tropical heat. But.....And there is always a But with us Brits (we like to complain about the weather), it has made working the babies slightly less attractive!!  But as everyone is a bit fat, we have utilised the double lunging trick to the max.  Charlie and Lu are pretty good at it now. 

Two days ago I got an Australian Stock Saddle for Charlie.  Blame it on Karl  Greenwood. If you don't know who he is, look him up on You Tube. He has a Horse Stunt yard, and also does stuff on Riding Confidence. Not only does he make sense, he is also very funny.  So I was watching one of his videos, when he mentioned Aussie Stock Saddles. And how its almost impossible to fall out of one.  BINGO.  What a good idea for hacking the babies out!! So I trawled the selling pages.....and now I have one. Not only does it fit Charlie, it also fits Lu, so I will be riding her in it first.

Spring May Actually Have Sprung = Laid Back Ponies

So Yes!! Here it is.....I give you Spring ( I think).  At last the cold May has turned into sunny May.  The grass is positively springing!!  Time to move the ponies onto The Hill Field (always the Spring Grazing). Not as simple as it sounds!  We have Daisy, who has Ems (which means she is prone to Laminitis), Dora (a fat Welsh Sec A), Mini (A Shetland! Say no more), and Lil, who has no grass problems, but cannot be turned out with Charlie as they are in lurve! So these four have to stay together, which means the pre-grass munchers are Lu and Charlie. They have no problems with eating nice spring grass, but WILL get fat!!

So over the last week we moved the Munchers first, to eat off the best grass. These have been followed by the other four.  So its back to strip grazing for all! This is the best course to follow with Cobs.  They Will Eat Everything In Sight. So as well as moving back the fences every day, we also have to make sure they are all working. 

To this end we have been making full use of the round pen, running Daisy round daily.  Dora has gone on a Sleepover, which is turning into a working holiday, which she SO needs. Lu, Charlie and Lil have been worked regularly. Mini the Shetland is surprisingly self-regulating with the grass gorge, so gets away with just working at the weekends.

But the upside of this??  Fat happy laid back ponies!! Because they are not hungry they are happy!  This makes working them easier because they are so chilled. Last week I took Charlie out in hand with Jo and Lu. Chilled as! On the way back, I got on him and rode him up the drive. Still chilled.  On Saturday Grace rode Lily in the school...Yup you guessed it...Chilled!  This week I have worked with Charlie on his Tricks....Well chilled!  

In contrast last weekend we all went to a horse car boot sale at an Equine Centre. I will name no names, but this yard should have fat happy laid back cobs. To do their jobs properly they need to be chilled and happy. Granted they are fat... but not in a good way.  They are all stabled 24/7 so are not exercising. So they lose muscle. And they are stiff. And living a life that's far removed from their natural lives. As they are not exercising or living in herds, or shivering a bit in the cold, they have become fat.  So they are all on diets!!!! Which makes them grumpy!  Its not hard to keep a horse happy...... All they need is to live as naturally as possible, in a herd, naked, and living off forage. And it makes a lot less work!!  I personally did not go look at these horses in their prisons, as I have already made my views clear.....but one of our friends did...and she came away in tears!

Please Horse Owners.... Let your Horses Live Naturally.....They will become the easiest, most laid back horses! 

Charlie Learning To Be a Trick Pony

The Importance Of Plenty Of Feed! And a Natural Lifestyle.

Let me clarify that title....I DO NOT mean hard feed. In my humble opinion horses only need hard feed if they are being worked hard.  Hard meaning hunting, eventing, racing, pulling a coal wagon!! Or if they are elderly and struggle to keep the weight on.  Otherwise grass and enough hay works a treat for most leisure horses.  We use mineral blocks, which they all have a lick of when they need.  Our two EMS girls have a handful of chaff with Turmeric, Oil, Garlic, Chasteberry and a few other goodies, just to treat their condition.  I also like to give a small feed after they have been worked, as a reward. Sometimes its just a handful of carrots, or Chaff, Vitamins and Carrots!!  Mostly carrots!!

We also believe 100% in the horses living out in herds 24/7. This is their natural environment. Horses are prey animals, and in the wild they live in large herds for safety, with an Alpha Mare, who makes the decisions and a Stallion for protection. At the first sign of trouble they leg it. In this environment, they are able to act out on their natural instincts, and they are able to form their own hierarchy and feel calm and relaxed. It also helps the oldies if they are able to move around and not get stiff.

And so 3 weeks down the line Molly is a changed horse. She has totally relaxed with her little herd. They have 3 acres to run around in and seem to be finding enough grass to keep them happy. A minor miracle after that Summer, when all the grass burnt off. We thought it would never recover! On top of that we give them more than enough hay.  More than enough means there is hay left in the morning. With the knowledge the hay is not going to run out, Molly has totally relaxed and is happy to share the Hay Feeder with the others.  We also put out a few nets, low down in the trees and a little on the ground so everyone can find a peaceful space to munch in. 

On Sunday Ellie came up with most of her children and some others to boot.  Molly was extremely interested in what was going on and un-phased with the twins (who are not quite 2 years old) hugging her legs.  Lil was happy to be sat on, while Mini took exception to a twin lying on her back kicking his little wellington booted feet on her backside, and started to buck. Luckily she is well behaved when actually tacked up. Guess she feels apart from that her time is her own.  Mini has very strong opinions on what she is expected to do!

Meanwhile over at Holiday Heaven, the other 3 have taken the meaning roughed off to the extreme. Covered in mud they now actually look like pigs in shit! They really wouldn't care if they never saw us again....apart from moving the fence back so they can continue to stuff their faces!

Huge thanks to Clare, Ty, Shaneece, and Meg for helping out xx

To Rug Or Not To Rug?

That is the question.   Its starting to get chilly.  Everywhere I drive I see horses rugged up. We are starting to rug ourselves.....socks, boots, maybe a jacket. Its tempting to start rugging our horses. BUT remember we don't have waterproof fur!  Horses are actually comfortable at between 7c and 14c. Naked. 

At 7c we probably have a thick jacket, so think our horses are cold. But just remember if they are not clipped they have a thick coat which is like us wearing a jacket.  Of course if your horse is clipped, it needs a rug. Also elderly horses need help to keep the heat in.  We have two ponies with EMS (Equine Metabolic Syndrome), and they are rugged earlier. EMS messes with the metabolism, so they cannot regulate their temperature so well. The others are two Shetlands (who are never rugged), a Haflinger, and a Gypsy Cob. The bigger ponies do have lightweight rugs on wet and windy days, mostly because Jo and I are soft, but also because we are on an exposed hill. Well thats our excuse to ourselves, and we are sticking to it!  But they do not need thick rugs....they have their own natural filling...FUR.

We have noticed that snow (When it actually happens) does not melt off the Shetlands backs.....which shows how well insulated they are. Also when it rains, they do not hide under the trees, they carry on eating in the middle of the field. They may look hunched up, but it is the horses way of keeping their vitals warm.  Look carefully and you will see the hair standing up on end....this is all part of natures way of keeping them warm.  The best way to help your horse keep warm is to feed plenty of hay.  Keep the hind gut working and this will keep the horse warm.  Think about where your horses breed comes from...
Shetlands?  I have been to Shetland....Its a cold, bare, treeless peat covered land. (No offense meant to Shetland).  Haflingers?  They live in snow covered mountains. Any British Native either comes from moorland or hill country.

If you are worried, feel the base of the horses ears or its chest.  This is a good indication of temperature. Of course if the poor thing is huddled up not grazing and shaking like a whippet, then by all means rug it.  Just don't overdo it.  Remember how uncomfortable it is to be hot and not be able to shed a layer.

And I just have to say.......Stabled horses.  Warm and cozy?  Ever spent a cold night in a stable?  Not at all warm and cozy.... Of course it is better for the horse to be outside, grazing, moving, able to run.  But if your horse has to be stabled at night.....Nice thick bed and rugs please. They cannot move around to get warm.