The Top Barn Treasure Hunt, Track Systems, And When Is Spring Starting?

 So with the Top Barn Winter Challenge over, across the land, Top Barners were thinking of duvet days and box sets. BUT NO!  Rhi has come up with a Treasure Hunt for May and June. Brilliant. I love Treasure Hunts. We quickly joined up, and got the list of 50 Treasures.  We only have to find 10 out of the 50, though there is a bonus prize draw for anyone finding all 50.  We also have to pledge a certain amount of miles ranging from 25 to 200. Charlie and I have only pledged 25.....after all, with my lungs I can't exactly go on a hike. We all know how bad i am at doing mileage!!!  However over 2 months it's only.....er.....about....12.5 miles a month, which is......er.......less than 5 miles a week.  Can you hear my brain whirring??  However I am hoping we don't have to do it all on foot.  Charlie is most laid back about me mounting now. We even managed a sideways step the other day.  You never know.....some of our miles may be ridden!!

Of course we have no chance of finding all 50 treasures.  This is Suffolk. In the Back-of-Beyond.  Looking at the list now, I can confirm we will not be finding a Mountain, or a Dry Stone Wall, or a Steep Hill, an Eddie Stobart Lorry, a cobbled street or a tunnel!  The Ocean is a good 6 miles from the Farm, and I'm doubtful if The North Sea qualifies!!  However there is something for everyone to find, and I have already taken note of a few things not too far away.  I have realised how rare Orange cars are.  I followed an Orange Ford Focus the other day and got really excited!!

Meanwhile, Charlie and I are working on our Agility.  March was a tough course. A Dinger!  Lots of opportunities for Dings, aswell as trying to film in almost constant winds. Scores were lower than normal, but we got a 1st for Walk Only Silver Liberty and 2nd for Walk Only OLHA Medium Level.  The April course is fun, but it still has THE HOOP in it.  The nemesis of Hairy Footed Cob owners.  Cobs just DO NOT see hoops as obstacles.  Half blind ones even less so. Hoop?  What Hoop? Even if by some miracle they clear it with their plate size feet, the thick feathers inevitably catch it.

So with the move to pastures green I have been constructing a track system. Track systems can be made even in smallish fields.  We are currently in about 3 acres. On a small Hill. A Suffolk Hill.  So the track runs down to the bottom of the hill and back up again.  To get water the horses have to come down the hill and back up again.  This means they are moving more than they would if we just strip grazed our way down the field.  In the wild, horses do not have the same problems as our domestic horses. Because they are moving.  Horses are designed to move and browse for forage.  MILES a day!  I keep thinking of putting a tracker on Charlie to see just how far he moves in a day.  I can't make it too complicated as Daisy The Highland is known for getting lost!!!  But it does make them think as well.

https://youtu.be/bbVVXIPAqfk

So the main question is When Is Spring Starting??  Its still sooooo cold.  Apart from the odd day when it has warmed up in the Sun.  I think its the Sun. A yellow thing in the sky? Being on the East Coast we are used to the cold breeze off the sea, but I Am Bored of being cold now. So if anyone knows when I can put my shorts back on, please let me know!

And The Heat Goes On, And So Does Agility And So Does The Zombie Ragwort

 And so the Hot Weather has continued.  On and ON AND ON!!! Every day has been between 27c and 32c.   August has remained dry, apart from 15 minutes the other day, when we got highly excited. It came to nothing. We didn't even get wet. While other parts of Suffolk had downpours and even flooding, here on the East Coast it skirted round us. The fields are like The Sahara. We still have standing hay, but we have already moved onto The Winter Grazing. To eke out this poor sparse dried grass we are already feeding a hay supplement. And just to prove the weather hates us, the other day we had a freak whirlwind, which lifted up the hay and carried it off in great swirling tufts!! 

Summer is supposed to be an easy time for horse care.  This year is tough.  Not only are we having to put hay out, we are also feeding the Shetlands.  Yes WE ARE FEEDING THE SHETLANDS. We have a Track System crossed with Strip Grazing for the big ponies.  This means moving the Electric Fencing back every day.  The ground is like concrete.  Our most treasured tool is the mallet.  Jo and I are gaining large arm muscles.......so if anyone wants expert tent peg hammer inners.......

And then there is still the Ragwort problem.  The damn stuff is still growing!  So we are daily pulling new rosettes as well as uprooting the dead stuff.  And like a Zombie, its not really dead. Oh No!  It may look dead, all brown and wrinkled, BUT the dead leaves are still toxic.  As is the brown dead stalks. AND they still have little fluffy seeds drifting off at the slightest movement, to infest the entire country.  So every day, two crippled old ladies are sweating in the burning sun, hammering in posts, fighting with Zombie Ragwort and lugging hay around. Not to mention the daily poo-picking etc.  No wonder we both sleep every afternoon!!!

So we really need some help. Jo is awaiting a hip operation and everyone knows i have the Lung Capacity of a 90yr old. The panting and groaning sounds like a Sex Tape!  We are looking for the impossible......A fit person to help us 2 or 3 mornings a week. For no payment whatsoever!! Just fresh air and excercise, with a coffee thrown in!  I would offer riding lessons, but these may be few and far between as the two riding ponies have been lame due to the hard ground.  Of course Charlie is sound......if anyone wants to take their chances???

All this heat and flies have not stopped my Agility Obsession though. Having got a 3rd in the Liberty Competition and 1st in last months Starter Competition,  has only upped my competitive spirit.  Charlie is still super keen.  This month we have been working on The Summer Sports Competitions, and The monthly Liberty and On Line Competitions. We have also gained our Level 2 trainers certificate and will start Level 3 next month. I have even got the dog involved, although we are not ready to compete yet.

Next month we are also doing The Top Barn Last Horseman Standing Challenge. Next month I am hoping for some rain!  And cooler temperatures, Next month I would also like to get back to riding more. Check back next month to see if any of this happens!

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!!

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 😅

Meet Freya... And Track Systems

First up I would like to introduce you all to Freya. She is a 3 month old Belgian Malinois.  Yes they are the German Shepherd like dogs, favoured by the Navy Seals for their ability to climb (cat-like) up a two-storey building!!  While we cannot replace Scrumpy we also could not live without a dog in our lives.

As a puppy she is hard work at the moment!!!!  But very lovable. And oddly very cat like!  She arches her back up while doing her morning yoga stretches. She washes her face like a cat, walks like a cat, and already jumps like a cat!  I think we may have bought a cat! Although going on her legs and feet, she is a large cat (black panther springs to mind). 

With this distraction, I have managed very little with the horses!  Charlie has a cough, so I had the vet out, after trying Cough Mixture, Honey, Thyme and Garlic.  The vet thinks its the dust and pollen so he's having a 10 day course of Liquid Ventipulmin and the Vet Special remedy (which I won't give away here) and it seems to be working. The Vet also thinks I'm mad...probably.
In case she was early, I had Charlie in the school making a video about worming. We then built a tyre pedestal and played with that. Then we went for a hand graze on the verge......Every time I sat down I was attacked by ants.  So I started to crawl around on hands and knees, just following Charlie as he grazed, like you do. AND THAT'S WHEN THE VET ARRIVED!!!

Anyway at last the rain has arrived. Hopefully the grass will begin to grow again. It's certainly made it easier to push fence posts in.  And so we have begun a track system for the big horses.  We are also using strip grazing.  So they have their water butts at the end nearest the gate with a long narrow track leading down the hill, round the corner and up the other side, to where we are moving the fence back every day so as the new grass is exposed, the longer they have to travel for water.  It's a useful system for natives, making them walk further, and therefore keeping them fitter and leaner!

Lockdown Continues - The Weirdest Spring Ever!!!

Wow..... So we continue into Lockdown Spring.  This has to be the Weirdest spring ever!!  Apart from the fact that if I catch this virus I will probably die, I am liking the slower pace of life. Fewer cars roar by the yard, everything is quieter and spring seems to be reveling in the stillness of the planet.

Those that are lucky enough to have their horses at home, or on private yards, at least have the pleasure of equine company, but with the BHS recommending not riding, may be at a loss of what to do with their horses. But this is a brilliant time to increase the bond. And also to get all those boring yard jobs done.... Anyone for rug cleaning? Fence Repairs? Washing all those dirty numnahs?

We have moved our herd onto the Hill Field and building a track system that is moving daily.  Not only are we restricting grass this way, but as each track section is extended, the ponies have further to walk for water. Daisy is now with Lily, Dora and Mini as they need less grass, and accept the fact they have to traverse a maze. They also have a hay container still, to supplement the rationed grass.

Charlie and Lu are not so compliant with this system.  Both are perfectly able to lift up fence posts and hop over the laid down fences to find new grazing. A couple of days ago we found them out in the main field looking as if they had been partying all night.  We brought them into the stalls in the Barn while we repaired the damage they had caused, only to have to wait at the water butts while they both drank for England.  It seems they couldn't possibly jump back over a clicking electric tape to get water, even though we reckoned they had been out at least 16 hours (based on droppings). So we spent a long, long, long time wrapping electrified wire around all the posts so they cannot grab them without getting a shock.  Their track system is slightly less meandering than the others, but they still have a trek to the Water Butts.

And so to that bonding I was talking about.  I have come up with 25 Things to do With Your Horse on the Ground and am frantically making short videos for You Tube.  Number 1 is simply Hanging Out.  Just spend time with your horse in the field.  Sit quietly and observe the herd dynamics. If your horse trusts you, you will be able to go and sit with him, while he is laying down.

Number 2 is a Breakfast Date with your pony.

Number 3 is all about Lunging.

Number 4 is about to be uploaded and covers "Join-Up", "Hook Up", "Bonder", "Follow Me" whatever you call it, its all the same.  In the next few days I will cover Beginning Clicker Training and Correct Leading. 
Please follow my YouTube Chanel for more videos. 

Stay safe.

P.s...... If you are suffering from Hay-fever, and you find sneezing in public causes mass panic, it's always nice to know your best friend is on hand with a hanky 😄

Feet And Fences, Rda Open Day and Tricks

First published 3 Sept, 2019

Wow.....Summer has just flown by.  Our trees are groaning with Sloes, Elderberries, and the odd Plum! The Ponies are fast losing their Summer coats. The nights are showing a slight chill, and after a scorching August Bank Holiday (my phone showed 30c at 11am), the days have dropped to the low 20s. Bliss!
The flies have been driving Charlie insane so hopefully they will die soon. I have washed my Winter Jacket, and am already eyeing up wood for the Tack Room wood burner. I LOVE AUTUMN.

Although working on a Semi Track System in the 3 Acre, because of the massive summer growth, we have loads of grass, so we are also having to Semi Strip graze, moving the fences back a little each day....which I swear takes longer than putting hay out in the Winter. This year though we are not moving the fences along behind us, so the Buggers still have a walk to get water (and we don't have to join a million pieces of hose together)

On Monday the Farrier came.  Trims all round.  And Lulu's vertical crack has finally grown out so she is barefoot again.  The Farrier is pleased with Daisy, who is now spending a couple of hours out with Charlie and Lu each day, before returning to her Pen for her soaked hay.  Despite the fact her Pen is just dust, Charlie and Lu are obsessed with getting into it.  While the Farrier was trimming the Minis, Lu broke all the fences, so Jo was kept busy repairing it all, while I ran ponies and coffee for the Farrier.  Daisy is so sound now, she has had her padding removed, although her shoes are still on back-to-front to take pressure off her toes.  We are getting there!

On Sunday, Viv and I went to an Open Day at Woodbridge RDA. It was a great day out with displays and dog agility, bric-a-brac and food.  We had a lovely time catching up with old friends.  I was absolutely enchanted to bump into Amy, who I taught from about the age of 10 until 15.  She was my Star Rider in my Tuesday Evening Childrens Club, when I ran the Rda at Sutton. She used to ride my own pony Paddy and they had a special relationship.....even though he could be a bit sharp and wasn't exactly RDA material!!  I was delighted to find Amy is now a fully grown up grown up!  Now 25, she is a Teacher. 

Jo has had an exciting idea for the yard. At the moment its just an idea. A whisper....Lets face it...We are too old to keep taking on rescues and sorting them out. We are too old for starting youngsters.  We have enough ponies!!
But with this new idea in mind, I have decided to expand my Trick Training to the whole yard!! Charlie is doing really well with it.  For a pony with the attention span of a gnat, he is really interested in learning tricks, and can concentrate for a good 20 minutes.  So today, after a great session with him, we went all in with Lily, Dora and Mini.  It was chaos, but i think I will work them separately for a while until they get it.

There is a video on the East Suffolk Ponies facebook page, and tomorrow I will edit it for You Tube. I am planning a whole series of videos for You Tube, charting their progress (or Not).  Watch this space.

Amy aged 14 with Paddy