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.
It is with great sadness that I must report that Sweet Pea passed over the Rainbow Bridge on Tuesday. It was a complete shock. She hadn't been ill and was only 18. Jo found her dead in the field in the morning. There were no signs that she had been stressed, or in any pain. We can only conclude that her heart gave out. Although she seemed fit and well, we have no idea what damage may have been caused by her early life.
Jo rescued Sweet Pea as a yearling from the back of a truck at Watton Horse Fair. She was shivering inside the truck, with ribs you could stack dinner plates in, covered in lice and had Strangles and Pneumonia. Jo had to borrow a trailer to bring her home in, with another Shetland, suffering from Strangles as well which her friend Jane bought. Jo's vet thought it best to put her to sleep.
Jo thought otherwise.... She fed her with a turkey baster, and gave her daily injections of antibiotics. Slowly both ponies turned around and became fit and well.
Despite such horrific treatment at the hands of humans, Sweet Pea turned into the sweetest pony, teaching many children to ride over the years. She was never bad tempered or difficult, although she had a few hang ups. She was greedy......having once been starved, Sweet Pea would scoff for Britain. We had to strip graze her, as given a whole field of grass she would not stop eating. She didn't like having a grazing muzzle on, preferring to rear up and over backwards than have it on. And injections (or maybe just vets?).......The vet had to be quick!!!
3 years after the rescue, Jo bought Mini (Winter Jasmine) . The two mares were inseparable ever since. Wherever one went, the other was sure to follow. Together they were the most loving rascals. Mini, having never suffered at the hands of humans, is more self assured and opinionated. Whenever we brought a new pony in, Sweet Pea would be the first to make friends, Mini reserved judgement. In all their adventures and break outs i am never sure who instigated it. I think it may have been Mini, but she then pretends she was just following Sweet Pea. However, Sweet Pea was always the first to be caught, and then Mini followed.
Sweet Pea was never needy...She would come for a cuddle, but patiently wait behind Mini ( who demands attention). She was calm in all situations. She just was. Only last year, she piloted Nancy with mum Meg in their first show at the Suffolk Showground, coming first in the class. She could always be trusted to nanny children.
We are sorely missing her. Mini, who was laying by her body, is extremely sad. Dora, who only knew her for a short time, but was her friend is very needy at the moment, as is Lu who grew up with her. And us humans? We are heartbroken.
Run free Sweet Pea......There are a lot of people mourning you...xx
Ok, hello guys. I am hoping this blog may be of some use to somebody. It may just be a journal for me to look back on when I,m older and greyer!
Anyway to give you some background information about myself, a life filled with horses compressed into a few words.
I started riding at the age of 3, and until i reached 44, i owned numerous ponies, worked all my best years with horses, in riding centres, driving yards and spent 12 years managing an RDA centre.
I spent a good deal of time riding for other people, schooling, sorting out problems and competing in showing, dressage, show-jumping, x country, and endurance.
And lets not forget a short dabble with Horseball.
This is Skittles. I owned her for 10 years. She taught me so much about competing. She had been there,done that.
We show-jumped, showed and did dressage. She could be very hormonal but we had a very understanding relationship as long as I did what I was told!
Sadly she was put to sleep after a bout of colic which would just not stop, at the age of 24
This is Harry. Harry came from a stunt yard. He was only 5 when I got him, but had already had a chequered career, and several owners. Apparently he was dangerous, but as you can see here, he was actually a real sweetheart and I loved him to bits.
Eventually I got to the bottom of his bad behaviour, a broken vertebrae in his spine, right under where the saddle (or rider) would sit. No wonder he bucked for England!! After 2 years, he had deteriorated to the point where i felt it was kinder to have him put to sleep at the tender age of 7.
And this is Paddy, the love of my life. I first got him as 4 year old. A wild little thing. A real character!! Full of intelligence and cheekiness. We shared 12 years together. In that time, we attempted showing (but his sense of humour mostly got the better of him). We did better at x-country, show-jumping and endurance though.
Our greatest adventure was driving down to Wiltshire, and riding 120 miles back up the Ridgeway, With my friend Tess and my arab Ryscheyed. Tess and I wore silly ball dresses....just in case people didn't notice us, and raised £2000 for the Rda. But that's another blog. Seriously check out http://ridgewayromp.blogspot.co.uk/
Then I got ill and struggled to look after Paddy. So he went out on loan to a lovely family in Norfolk, and had 2 fantastic years, before he got a twisted gut. The only time in his life he was ever ill!!! And how! He was put to sleep at the age of 18.
Anyway to touch on that illness, without dwelling on it, I have something called Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. As I put it .....dodgy lungs and a dicky ticker. At first I was really ill, and thought my life with horses was over. I felt like my right arm was missing. The condition isn't curable, but i am better than I was on a cocktail of drugs.
And then......
I met a lady called Jo who has a glut of rescued ponies, and started helping her. And then.......
4 weeks ago I got Charlie from a rescue centre. Very sensibly I have got a 3 year old !!! As you do at the age of 49 with dodgy lungs and a dicky ticker.
So this blog is about my life with horses Part Two.
Happy reading.....
