Summer Is Here, Agility. Lameness. And Ragwort

 So Summer is definitely here.  Despite NOT being a weather channel I am British, so I will bang on about the weather. Its been HOT.  I mean REALLY HOT. Like 'Broken All Records' Hot. Suffolk recorded 38c last Monday. Tuesday was slightly cooler at 37c.  Since then the temperature has dropped to between 23c and 31c. The ponies have coped surprisingly well, despite being Natives and more used to rain and cool.  They don't seem at all bothered in fact. We have coped as well, getting used to the heat and shivering slightly as the temperatures dropped to 20c. What isn't coping so well is our fields which are standing hay (burnt grass) and dust. Perfect for the ponies!! Unfortunately the Ragwort is taking over. Being on sandy soil and dry it is having a party. Every single day we dig the stuff up even in the Winter.  But this year it's got beyond our control, so its a case of digging it up when we move the fence back. I swear when the world ends and the planet is burning, the Ragwort will survive (as will the flies).  We have barely had a drop of rain for the whole of July (0.6 mm according to the local news) , so please send some asap.

Charlie and I have been ploughing on with our Agility. We have almost completed the Level 2 training. And we entered our first ever competition.  And came 2nd.  I am so pleased with him.  He is loving it, to the point when he sees me altering the course he is leaving his field-mates to the grass and waiting at the gate. A far cry from the pony that once took 2 weeks to catch!!!  We are fired up with the competing and have just entered the Liberty Trophy class.

https://youtu.be/CX6lt5SECIY

Having neglected his riding training, last week I had him in the school with Debbie and Lu.  While they were titivating Lu, I tacked him up. No adverse response. Parked him at the Mounting Block. Cool as Cucumber. Got up on Block. Still cool. Leaned over him.....no response.  Got on him, still laid back as a recliner.  At this point Debbie came to his head,  and we went for a wander around the school including weaving through the cones.  Of course the Pivo decided to go on strike at this point! 

But Charlie needs to step up as my riding pony.  If I can stop doing Agility for a day!!!  Having had Daisy shod last month we managed 2 hacks before she went lame. That was due to the wet June and the green grass (At this point I have forgotten the meaning of wet and grass). So that worked out at £26 a ride! 

Sound and shod again, we managed 2 hacks.  Catching her in for hack number 3, I was excited to bring my costs down.  Alas she trotted in lame. Only on one foreleg and more un-level than lame. I checked her feet for stones, the heat ( or lack of) in her hooves,  any swellings or hot spots in her leg. Nada.  No clue as to what is wrong, so can only put it down to the hard ground, a tweak somewhere. So please send us RAIN.  Our ponies need it!!!

 

Living In a Dessert and A Pony Party

Ok I am being very English again and giving a weather report!!!!  Its been HOT!!
For the last 3 weeks its been up in the high 20's with blazing sunshine every day. Being by the coast we have had the odd cooling breeze, but NO RAIN. Being English we like a bit of rain, its what we're used to. Our grazing now consists of standing hay, the ponies leaving behind a dust bowl with no signs of life. We are already starting to think the grass will never come back.  Oh yes...Very English....Moan about the weather!!!!!  I actually like the heat, I have an awesome tan, But.......Just a bit of rain would be gratefully received.

We have been continuing with the kids lessons.....Polly who was born to teach children is loving it, and positively skipping around.  The big girls have had a few gentle hacks, and have been fairly laid back.  Charlie is being Mr Superstar. The clicker training is paying off.  I have been working at getting him to stand still at the mounting block whilst 'targeting ' a traffic cone.  Its working.  I can now lay a leg over his back, or lean on him.....when he backs up, I say target and he moves forward to the cone.  

As England are doing well in the World Cup (that is if you are reading this before the match against Sweden) , I have been playing with an England flag.  Charlie was more than happy to hold it in his mouth and wave it!!  Lu was very wary of it.  Funny how the baby is just curious, but the herd leader is cautious!!

Today we took Polly and the Shetlands to a local school fete. Yes we crammed all three into a trailer as it was just 2 miles away. We were given a spot next to the Bouncy Castle and I am happy to report that none of them batted an eyelash when it was inflated.  We spent a happy couple of hours with the children pouring glitter over the ponies (unicorns) and stenciling them. They were all really good......Until we were packing up.......

Although we had erected electric fencing it wasn't live, or very low!  Polly had been freed first as she never wanders off.  So we let the Shetlands loose to graze aswell. BIG MISTAKE!!  Never, Ever, Ever Trust A Shetland Pony!! After grazing near to us in angelic manners, they suddenly took off at high speed to the opposite side off the fence, ducked under and legged it down the school playing field. I started to run after them, was swiftly overtaken by Ellies Children and Chanice Who Helps On Saturdays, remembered my dodgy lungs and dicky ticker and slowed to a walk.  Out on the bridleway at the bottom of the school I could here lots of giggling, and the girls appeared with the somewhat chastised Shetlands in tow.  Like I said.....Never Trust a Shetland!

Scorchio.......Baths and Supermarket Trips

At last summer is here.....Its been Scorchio.  So much activity on our behalves.
Baths for one.. Not sure Charlie has ever had a bath, but I was determined to get him clean, and cure the hose pipe fear.  So as Jo bathed Lulu with the hose, Charlie had a bucket bath.....No problem (even tipping buckets over him). He was still wary of the hose though.  Why???? Who knows. He has been seen to drink from a tub while it is being filled up with the hose. So once he had been bathed i took a small piece of cut off hose and ran it all over him. No reaction. Next step, Get a small trickle coming out of main hose and run it over his already wet body.  A small reaction, a rear, a double strike out with front legs, then actually finding it nice.

The following day I worked him loose over some small jumps.  He loved it. He even went off when I had walked away and popped them again. As it was Scorchio he was very sweaty so I got the hose running again slightly faster this time. And low and behold much snorting, growling, sighing and rearing. Now I have been taking things very slowly with this boy. I understand his fear, the facts he is a long way behind 4 year olds that have been bathed, trimmed, long-reined and shown since they are 5 months old.  But he does push his boundaries sometimes. I know him very well and can tell fear from coltish tantrums.  I heard the growly grunty sigh and saw the look in his eye.  This was just a tantrum.  So this time I held the lead rope close and carried on hosing him regardless.  For just a second he stood and admitted it was quite nice on a hot day!

As we are off to the Suffolk Show next week with Lulu, we thought she better have a trip out in the Lorry.  Jo had to pick up a parcel from Leiston, so we combined the two.  No-where to park a lorry in the high street so we parked in the Co-op car park.  Jo went off to the Post Office, and as Lu neighed I went and checked....happily eating hay.  Windows in truck open, Dogs hanging out of windows, me in passenger seat.  And so a lady came along and said, "Are they ok?"  "The dogs?" I said, "yes they are fine".  "No", said the lady, "The Horses" "Er yes she is fine", I said. "Well its awfully hot" said the lady huffily, and stalked off.  It then occurred to me she must have thought we were doing our weekly shop or something!!

After we had put Lu back after her shopping trip, we left the Lorry open.  Walking past it with Charlie on my way to the tack room I let him sniff the ramp while I stood on it.  Two seconds later he loaded himself, turned his quarters in and started pulling on the Hay net. On the way back out to the field, he again loaded himself, this time in front of me.  I slung the lead rope over his next and said, "whoa boy, we're going this way", whereupon he calmly backed down.  What a Star.  On the way out we had a few selfies.

Heatwave Survival and Nasty Horse-Flies

Phew its been HOT.  Too hot to ride.  Not complaining (much) but this is a bit like winter.  We are in Survival Mode.  By the time we have finished the chores, its time to hide from the heat. 
This doesn't quite mean contact/bonding has stopped. I am actually having a major break-through with Charlie......This is because of his pink nose and the searing heat.  It has become imperative to sunblock him daily. So I have been taking a tiny feed or carrots up to him daily.  This means catching is no longer a problem.....He's starting to drop his nose into the head-collar. He has a minor protest about the sunblock... A very small rear or two, but its getting on and stopping him having a crispy nose.  Oddly enough he is fine with fly cream on his face and sheath.....and talking of sheaths, he is really happy for me to clean his.  Odd Pony!!!
Our grass is now standing hay...and burning off, so we move the fence back without fear of laminitus.  It is vitality important to keep the water clean, fresh and topped up. And to fly spray everyone. Including ourselves!
Last week I got bitten by a larger than normal horse-fly on my jelly belly.  This week its swollen and spread, and has lovely blisters.  Doc says its called Cellulitis.....I thought that was only on my thighs!  So antibiotics and slight apathy from me to do more than strictly necessary.
We thought we might use the time to clean all the rugs with the pressure washer.......but inevitably its broken after one rug!!