Summer Has Arrived, Hemlock, and Orange Cars Are Like Buses!

 SUMMER HAS ARRIVED!!!!!  Finally the North Wind has been chased out by a beautiful warm Southerly Breeze, blowing in hot air from Spain. Oh its fantastic. Today reached 28c.  Time to have the boots and fleece surgically removed. Actually that happened 2 weeks ago and my white legs were released on the general public. I am literally basking in it.  The summer has of course brought out the Horse Flies and on a good note, the Butterflies.(If You Know, You Know).  The dog then found a host of fleas to live on her!  We tried Frontline, Baths, Powder, Flea Collar.  Nope Nothing worked.  We had to go to the Vet (cue horror music and screams).

We have a Belgian Malinois.  They are reactive at the best of times and fierce...ly loyal. We signed up with the local vet as she has not been to Vet since her first jabs, when she was just a tiny Maligator.  Now she is 32kg of pure muscle.  We explained she is wary of strangers, and duly arrived for the last appointment of the day, with said Horror in a Muzzle.  We started ok.  She barged behind the reception desk to have a love-in with the Receptionist.  Then surprise surprise a dog came out of the Vet Room.  Freya normally likes other dogs, but muzzled, on a leash, in a room...tooo much. She lunged. We were quickly ushered in, and the Vet firmly behind his desk, said she looked in fine health, was a good weight and was happy to prescribe the Flea Tablets.  We were nearly home and dry........He suddenly stood up and came towards me.  Freya went from most chilled to guard dog in a split second and lunged for the Vet.  He banged his leg really hard getting back behind his desk. The upshot now is if we have to take her in for any kind of physical examination, she has to be sedated.  I was very dissapointed as I have known him for years as a very good Vet.  But having already witnessed her reacting, and having been told she was reactive, I thought he should have stayed put, or at least got up and moved in very small stages. 

Anyway....Lets talk Hemlock.  There has been a lot in the Horsey Press recently about the difference between Hemlock and Cow Parsley. Basically Hemlock is poisonous and Cow Parsley is a nice snack for your Horsey.  We seem to have a lot of Hemlock about this year, probably due to the non-stop April Rain. So how do you recognise it?  Well its tall, has purple splodges on its stem and stinks like a load of musty old mice!  It exudes evil from every pore.  Meanwhile Cow Parsley is dainty and pretty, and smells a bit herby. We have a lot of Hemlock this year. We also have Deadly Nightshade which we leave because its pretty.  The horses never touch either.  They will eat around a small Ragwort plant. Trust your horse to know whats good for it and what isn't.  After all they have survived in the wild for Millennium. 

Hemlock, a nasty tall stinky plant.  This specimen is over 6 foot tall.

Nice Pretty little Cow Parsley - Smells good enough to eat.

And now we must talk about Orange Cars.  We all know why.  Everyone doing the Top Barn Treasure Hunt has been obsessed with them.  Not as Obsessed as seeing an Eddie Stobart Lorry ( rarer than a Unicorn Pube), or a Butterfly (plentiful now its warmed up, but somewhat fluttery) or a Bird on a Wire (that may only be me). But Yes an Orange Car is somewhat rare. After many hours spent with Charlie in the Hill Field which overlooks the road, I can confirm Grey/Silver is the most common colour car. I can also confirm the most common cars here in deepest darkest Suffolk are Land Rovers or Ford Rangers. There are NO buses. Or Police Cars.  The only crime here is the Marriage between Brother and Sister (and no local cop is going to book their own parents).  I have been hoping for a bicycle or 2, maybe strapped to a Camper on its way to the beach, or an Ice Cream Van. But no.  Today while innocently hanging around filming passing cars (Is that Illegal?), like the Bus that never comes, suddenly 3 (YES THREE), Orange cars came by!!!!!

So far I have 25 treasures ( though I may have made some of them.....like the Drystone Wall I built).  I didn't go for the Mega Challenge of 50 Treasures because I knew some were impossible.  Especially on a not quite ridden pony, and the dodgy lungs I own that stop me walking too far.  So I have my legit 10 Treasures plus a few more.  And only 2.9 miles to complete by Friday.  We have finished our Agility Competitions, so apart from Tuesday (all day hospital with Mum) and Wednesday ( almost all day Hair appointment with Mum) we have 3 days to complete our miles.  And I would really like to add a Thatched Cottage and Pond to our Treasures.  They are only half a mile down the lane......But since the bottom of the driveway has been 'upgraded' Charlie thinks monsters live there.

So if anyone is available Monday, Thursday or Friday to come for a walk down the lane with me (Shetland Pony provided) I would be most grateful. If you bring a pushbike that would be great.  If you turn up in an Ice Cream Van, followed by The Police............Wow....You get unlimited riding on Charlie.

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.

Everyone Loves Lil, Minis Colic and Charlies Progress

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.

Mad Dogs And English (Wo)Men!

And guess what????? Yes its gone from 5c to 25c .  English weather for you. Not that we are complaining about the heat.  Oh no, Not after that Winter. Still there are times of the day that it is.....maybe a little warm for, say fencing, or hacking.  Not that we take any notice of that. No we are hardened Horsewomen. We are used to the odd English weather. Four seasons in one day.

Last week, I had a panic on. Found a lump in Scrumpy Dogs mouth that looked very dodgy. The vet wanted her in the next day to remove it. At 11 and a half I was worried about the anaesthetic, and what they might find under the lump.  Trying to keep busy didn't help.  I found myself staring at water containers as I filled them.  It was the longest morning of my life!!  Luckily Scrumpy is a Jack Russell, thereby as hard as nails.  She sailed through the op, and felt well enough to chase a cat later that evening.

During that slightly dodgy week, it got warmer and warmer. The Bank Holiday weekend reached tropical temperatures.  Bliss after the Winter.  At the weekend all the little ponies were used in lessons.  They are loving being so useful.  Even Sweet Pea forgot to rear.  And Dora has been amazing.  Polly too seems to love being the 'Pony that taught a thousand kids to ride' and is full of bounce.

I have set up a round pen near the tack-room.  Okay its not perfectly round, but near enough.  And handy for water, drinks etc. Lu and Daisy went out Saturday, with Jo and Chanice Who Helps On Saturdays. In the meantime I was able to work Charlie, who is still being very colty.  After some good work, and some dancing/follow me free-school stuff, I got him a small feed and took a chair, drink, phone etc out to sit with him while he ate. Meanwhile the others came back.  Lu was looking so pretty I put a harness on her that I want to sell. She was brilliant considering she has never worn a harness before, and only mildly objected to the crupper!  While I was taking pictures Charlie decided to move the chair. I managed to rescue my drink in time, but he picked the chair up, then stood all over it.  He also found it funny to pick up and wave a jacket that was on the back of the chair.

Yesterday, Jo and I decided that it was a good idea to re-fence the biggies field, and move them down the hill, so that the grass can come back at the top. Good plan in 28c, at midday.  As usual it took longer than we thought, what with fencing the edges, and adding miles of hose on to reach the bottom of the hill. Still we have vowed NOT to say Its Too Hot.  So we drove ourselves on through the hottest part of the day, until we were like clockwork dolls winding down.

Today was even hotter......so we went out for a hack at 1pm!!! Having lost a lot of Farm Track Hacking when a Giant Farm bought a lot of nearby land, we decided on crossing THE ROAD and plodding down some country lanes.  Lu hasn't been that way since she was a baby, and Daisy has never been that way. I even wore a hat!!!! And we both wore fluorescent tabs.  OOOOH get me...So BHS.  I even put long boots on (a bit Lara Croft with the short shorts), and took my phone, And a lead rope!!

THE ROAD is always busy.....and fast.  Personally I don't care having crossed the M4, and some major A roads,not to mention cantering along the A12 verge as a child, and riding a 3 year old up the A140. Its a mere co-incidence that the only riding accidents I have had that have ended up with me in hospital have been on roads. So i set out to be nanny to Lu, Daisy being bombproof an all.....

Turns out Lu is perfectly cool in traffic, whereas Daisy reacted like she had a stick up her arse.  Still it slowed the traffic down!  My usual hacking position of one finger round the buckle of the reins, had to be adapted in order to steer Daisy and thank traffic.  I also found out my new 'brakes' bit was no brakes at all. Still they were both awesome and I thoroughly enjoyed a new route.  In fact I was like an excited kid...pointing at every farm track and dodgy looking footpath, saying "Where does that go?" Poor Jo. It must have been like a child in a car saying "Are we there yet?" every 2 minutes.  Needless to say we were all very sticky when we got back (including Charlie who must have been charging round his empty field for over an hour).  But the beauty of the new round pen, meant we could turn them loose while we got a drink and de-booted.  I brought a sweaty Charlie up to join his girls and we were able to hose them all down from the middle of the pen.

Sadly in mine and Daisy's excitement I forgot to take any pics on my phone, of the quaint cottages and the awesome view over the river, but i did manage to set a brilliant riding app, which even shows our route...Little things!!

The Saga of Sweet Pea Continues

And so. On Tuesday the Vet and the Farrier were meant to coincide at 2pm. I arrived at around 11.30am to find the Farrier had already arrived and Jo, caught on the hop had to leg it to catch in Daisy, Polly and Lu, as the Farrier wanted to get the shod ponies out of the way.  Turns out it was a good thing, or we may have been there till midnight. 

Although Charlie had Dora in the next field he was apoplectic at being without 'his' mares. He raced around in the mud and rain, got hot and rolled....and was absolutely caked in wet mud when I went to get him. Luckily he had enough time waiting in a stable to dry off a bit, and I rubbed him down with handfuls of straw and apologised profusely to the Farrier for his wet muddy feathers! I know a lot of people struggle in the Winter with Mud Fever in Hairy Cobs, and clip their feathers off.  Believe me though, it is better to leave them on. They are natural protection against any bacteria.  Constant washing of clipped legs causes the skin to weaken and the pores to open, which allows bacteria in. Scruffy as wet muddy feathers look, if you part the hair you will find nice clean, healthy skin underneath....so please leave them be.  Lecture over.

Eventually the Vet arrived and started the ex-ray procedure with Sweet Pea. She was not too keen on standing on the blocks, and apparently at one point reared right up. She is very good at rearing vertically! I had buggered off to do the hay and water. When I came back the verdict was in. No arthritis at all and the feet were perfectly aligned with the Pedal Bone.  And so.....back to soft tissue damage in the Fetlock.   Mmmmm....thats what I suspected in the first place.

Box rest was advised.  So after a long tiring day with the light fading we bedded down the biggest stable and popped both Shetlands away for the night.  Sweet Pea would have had a nervous breakdown without Mini. They are surgically attached.  Initially they seemed thrilled to be having a night out of the persistent rain, at a 5 star Shetland Hotel.  I guess the mini-bar ran out too early......

The next day, we were met with very grumpy Shetlands. Sweet Pea refused her breakfast with pain-killers in. The only answer was to set up a very small pen outside again. It could be a long job!

Shaved Shetland leg after nerve blocks. As you can see she is not putting her foot flat on the floor.

Sweet Pea temporarily enjoying the 5star Shetland Hotel.

Happier in an outdoor pen.

Bucking Straps, Dentists and Umbrellas

So I admit, I have been away a while.....I have moved and BT are "having problems at the exchange", so its been a while with no internet. Its still not connected but I can sometimes get BT Fon.....the rest of the time I have to go to the pub to use their internet (SIGH). Maybe my readers are paying BT to go slow?????

So its a quick catch up. Having posted pics on Facebook (Ooops) of my incompetence with the western saddle, I was quickly informed that the bucking strap was too tight, and that when tightened up it causes bucking!!! Hmmm. That would explain the bucking fit then! I tried it on Daisy...without the bucking strap, and had a ride. I have to say it felt a bit weird, and I need a breastplate, but I think I'll get used to it. 

We then had the vet out to do some dentistry. We told her to bring Ketamine....Charlie being a baby, Sweet Pea not liking muzzles and Daisy being a bit unpredictable as to what she will accept. Charlie was a star and didn't mind at all. Sweet Pea was an angel. Daisy went to sleep. Jasmin (Mini) went NUTS.
Of all of them.....the smallest, sweetest pony! A week later we took her to the vet in the lorry, with Sweet Pea for company and dogs. We sort of erupted everywhere when we arrived! Heavily sedated Mini had an electric rasp to remove some nasty hooks.

Jo has decided to enter Lu at the Suffolk Show, so we have been de-spooking her. We had a play with an umbrella which was hilarious. Lu ran off, so did Daisy initially. Charlie tried to eat it. Having twirled it this way and that with Charlie, I retrieved Daisy, who decided it wasn't so bad whilst eating Herbalicious treats. Lu took a bit more convincing and ended up looking a bit of a twat as herd leader!

Meanwhile at the RDA we need some more horses. Viv and I went out to Essex on a very rainy day and I tried out Stormin Norman, a 13.2hh black and white cob with a long mustache. I was instantly in love. He could be Charlies' brother. A perfect trial....Didn't put a foot wrong, so hopefully we will have him on loan soon.

Things with the Papermill Lane Ponies are not so good. 4 of us went for a visit a couple of weeks ago. We photographed a lot of underweight ponies, with no water and bad hay which was mostly out of reach anyway.  We distributed what hay and water we could, untangled a few caught up in each others tethers, and stumbled across bags and bags of bones. We all went home feeling saddened and sickened, fired off lots of emails and complaints. I'd really like to go home with a lorry full! We will continue to fight

Seedy Toes and Roadsigns

Yes, we have found a road sign to use in our training.  It had been laying around for months.....so Jo and i requisitioned it. Its a big triangle with a 20mph limit picture.  it was a little big for the car, and we were giggling like school girls loading it.  It now sits in the round pen. Both Charlie and Lu have been worked round it and neither battered an eyelid.  All good to make a bombproof pony.

And on to Seedy Toe.  Not something you hear much these days. Horse problems seem to come in and out of fashion.  Seedy Toe is one of those old fashioned problems.  And Daisy has it. She has been lame since she was last trimmed.  It got worse.  Initially thinking it must be laminitus, although theres no grass left in the one-acre, we moved her in with Polly, on long old standing hay, and popped on a grazing muzzle.  However neither Jo or myself were happy that it was laminitus to blame.  Daisy is quite lean, there was no crest, no pulse and no heat in her feet.  I turned to a very old veterinary book I have (my bible) and came up with White Line Disease or Seedy Toe.  Having put Daisy's boots on and found it eased her pain, we called the vet out for x-rays. As with lots of technology these days, it wasn't all plain sailing.  The x-ray machine refused to talk to the laptop. Katie the vet switched it off and on again.  Daisy stood patiently on the wooden blocks.  Still no joy. Katie phoned her boss who suggested she switch it off and on again.  Still Daisy waited on the blocks. Still no joy. Katie phoned IT support.  While we waited for the callback, Katie tried again, switching it off and on. Daisy nodded off, still on the blocks. Katie tried the off/on trick yet again. Phoned IT again. Daisy dozed peacefully.  Eventually IT rang back.....When Katie said 'Yes 4 times' we knew he had asked her if she tried turning it off and on again.  We all fell about laughing. Eventually it worked.  X rays duly taken we could see the problem was in the toes.  Its like a fungus that goes up from the white line.  The toes have to be cut back to expose this and the air will kill it. The Farrier is coming Tuesday.

Jo, and the vets doing x-rays on Daisy

The Secret Life of A Box Walker and Pollys Colic

So poor little (big) Daisy seems to be recovering from her laminitis. In fact from Saturday onwards she has been tanking around as soon as we let her out. Seeing her trotting soundly across the stones, with her new lean look, I was tempted to enter her into the Grand National 😊
We are slightly scared to allow her back out full time though.  So she continues to come in at night. And she hates it.  She has taken to tossing her haynet over the door. And she has obviously been box walking.  While this has contributed to her weight loss, its not nice knowing she is so stressed.  Every day the droppings have been trodden in, and mashed up, making it a bit of a job mucking out.  Saturday night she managed to knock her water over.....Not a small bucket I hasten to add, but a full size black dustbin! Box walking is not good.....a real sign of stress.  At the end of the day horses are outdoors animals, they live in herds, they like to be able to run away.  Stabling is not natural. When the rain is lashing down and the wind is howling, you may lie in bed happy that your horse is tucked up in cosy pjs in a nice warm stable. In reality the horse is feeling trapped......its hearing all the noise of the weather, and really wants the comfort of a herd, and the ability to run from danger.....
Worth a thought.....
Anyway here are the before and after pics of saturday night water escapade....

Before....nice cosy stable


                                                                                                                                                                           








                
And after....Trashed stable in true rock star fashion....................











We had to use the trailer.....And it took 2 trailer loads to empty it.  We were seriously weighing up the pros and cons of leaving her out all night, with a grazing muzzle on.
 Anyway racing round doing the fields we noticed Polly lying down. She had been down when we arrived....not unusual first thing..Charlie and Lu are usually asleep together when we arrive. But more unusual to get up and then down again.  My colic radar buzzed. She didn't look right.  We got her up to check her out. She wasn't sweated up but she was grinding her teeth. A sure sign with Polly that something hurts. Then she went down and rolled again. We brought her in for a bran mash, which she wasn't interested in. I walked her while Jo called the vet.  Its not worth messing about with colic.  Having had a very colic prone horse in the past (Skittles) , who eventually died from a twisted gut, I have always been able to spot colic a mile away. If you are not sure, call the vet.  Signs are getting up and down a lot. Rolling. Looking at stomach. Kicking at stomach. Raised heart rate. Pinched lips. Sweating. Groaning. Not interested in grass. These have to be taken together. A horse may not show all these signs.  But if you know your horse you should be able to spot discomfort or pain.  But if it is simply having a roll, or kicking at a fly, don't panic.  I once had someone inform me one of the Rda ponies had colic. Looking out of the window and watching him calmly munching grass, I asked, "What makes you think that?" The reply was, "He kicked at his belly.  I read in a book that that means colic" Hmmmm it was summer....he was kicking at the flys. It is always worth spending time with your horse, in the field, just watching. Then you will know when its not right. 
Anyway the vet appeared....pulled out a lot of sandy droppings from Polly. We are on very sandy soil.  Unfortunately when the grass is short, and it rains, as it had Saturday night, they tend to pull the grass up from its roots, and eat it sand and all.  Some horses are fine with it.....some have slightly less efficient guts and they get a build up of sand which gets stuck.  After a shot of Buscopan and Bute, the vet tubed her.  If you haven't seen this done before, a tube is passed up a nostril and pushed down into the gut. Then about a gallon of liquid paraffin and warm water is poured through a funnel into the gut. Not pleasant,  but it usually gets things moving. Polly was a star, and didn't even need sedating. No drama there. Skittles used to fight, and rear and always had to be sedated. Then her nose would bleed and I would end up covered in blood, snot and whatever food came back up. 
All this done, it was about time to bring Daisy back in. As the shetlands had just arrived back from their holidays, we were able to stable Polly too. What a difference that made to Daisy.  Nice clean stable this morning. Both looking bright and chirpy.  They have been turned out on long grass today, and will be in tonight......And then, hopefully they can both go back out full-time.