Like Climbing Everest, and A Teeny Tiny Saddle

So having a few ripped rugs, on Friday we set off to the Tack Shop for repairs, and so I could ogle a whp saddle out of my price range.  It had gone!  Not to be deterred I found a step ladder, and climbed up to examine the saddles higher up. Something caught my eye.  Yes a teeny tiny 15inch whp saddle. 15inch sounds a bit small, my last whp saddle I had for Paddy was 16in.  But whats an inch between friends?  And it looked to be a wide/extra wide fit.  And only one hundred english pounds! And we have a weeks trial on it.

I couldn't wait to try it on Charlie the next day.  Even though he's never had a saddle on before.  He accepted it with his usual laid back attitude. It looks tiny, with teeny tiny saddle flaps.  But it fits across the withers which is most important.  A quick lunge, and it proved not to move. 

So the next thing is to ride in it.  But Ok the pony isn't broken yet.  I'm going to have to use Daisy. As she hasn't worked since October, we may well have to re-break her!!  So I'm waiting for a day when its not blowing 40mph winds. 

As we have the tail end of Hurricane Imogen lashing the country, that's a tall order at the moment.  Yesterday, I could barely walk against the wind.  Going up hill against it felt like climbing Everest.  Every step forward was a victory. Its days like that I really feel the dodgy lungs, as I gasped for each breath, and my dicky ticker powered along around 130bpm.  Putting hay out without losing it all was a serious mission.  We have found if we tuck rugs over the trailer full, we can at least get to the feeders in one go. Getting it into the feeders is interesting. I have adopted a new method....I call it Underwater hay feeding.  Yup, take a breath, Hold it.....Close eyes......And go for it!

Only Daisy Didn't Take A Naughty Pill Last Night

Daisy was the only one not to take a naughty pill last night.  Obviously dished out by the naughty pill fairy!  We arrived to find Lulu in with the minis (again).
Only a blonde would swop to a field with less grass.  And so the blondeness spread.  Having retrieved Lu, and removed a hanging tail flap from B,s battered rug, we moved the hay rack down the hill, out of sight of Lu.  Could they find it? Hell no. Its not as if we disguised it like a nuclear bunker.  Even when I stood yelling, banging the metal sides and waving hay, they stood watching from a distance!  
And then we set about changing rugs, as the wind is more than nippy again. Naturally Daisy was as good as gold.  But Charlie?  No he was offski.  Oh yeah a funny game.  Not amused!  Eventually I just hung out by the hay, until I could rub his head.  He then stood quietly for a rug change and lots of cuddles.  Weird boy!!!  By the time we had poo-picked in the ever increasing wind, both Jo and I were exhausted!

My Pony Looks Like Phil Lynott

Blowing Up A Hoolie, and The Farrier

Well its certainly mild again.....and guess what 40mph winds.  How I hate the wind! It makes normal stuff, like putting hay out a real battle.  Top Tip alert.....If you feed hay in the field, you need one of these big metal things. They stop it blowing away.  They don't stop the person unloading it from getting covered in it though.

A Big Metal Thing Yesterday

Today we had the farrier.  Up we went to get the big ponies.  Charlie decided to be a dick.  So we took Lulu and Daisy down to the barn, and I went back for him with a small feed.  In between galloping about screaming hysterically, he snatched mouthfuls.  I tried explaining to him that we both wanted the same thing, but I needed him to have his headcollar on. It didn't take long for the penny to drop.  I thought we may fall out on the way down to the barn, as he wanted to go faster than my lungs will allow me. But a few sudden halts and a growl from me seemed to sort it.  He did think about going up, but didn't so we are starting to understand that I am the boss!
He was good as gold for the farrier, had a good brush, including that thick tail and those thick feathers.  He has a touch of thrush, so i scrubbed his feet with salt water and sprayed some hibiscrub and disinfectant on each foot. He didn't object to that at all.
To make room for Polly, I took Lu and Charlie out to the field and left Daisy in the stable.  The two I'd just turned out ran up and down yelling for her, while she deafened us in the barn yelling back.  I've never seen a horse open its mouth so wide to neigh! 

   









                           
                 

Charlies Adventure and The Arctic Vortex Has Been Avoided

Yup....looks like Winter is over.  I love it when its only a week long!  It was 14c today.  T-shirt weather.  The horses are back in lightweight macs.  We are mostly out of grass now in the 4-acre so we continue to give them small feeds and lots of hay.
Charlie had an adventure on Saturday.  After putting his bridle on again, I decided to take him down to the tack room, where Jo was mixing breakfast.  He hadn't been that far yet, so I clipped the rope onto the bit rings.  Good job.
We were fine going down, a bit of spooking....at the car, the wheelie-bin.  As usual he sniffed the scary objects, and decided they weren't going to eat him. I let him try and graze, but the poor little bugger kept dropping the grass back out! To be fair its quite a chunky bit.  All the time Daisy and Lu were keeping a watchful eye out.  So all good, I started to take him back.......at which point Daisy went crazy, galloping around screaming.  That startled the boy, who spun round, and for a split second we both thought he was going to try and jump a stock fence, struggle up a tree filled bank, to pop another stock fence. Lucky I had that rope through the bit.  After that, we had a fairly prancy journey back up the track, with many stops for reassurance.  Finally back to the field....Charlie was in fact great, standing stock still to have his bridle off (although he has a real problem with it touching his ears).  Meanwhile Daisy was still galloping and bucking.  Real bronco bucks.....I didn't know she had it in her.
Today I backed it up a little, and left the bridle in the tack-room, and just did a little lunging and 'follow me' play in the school.  We also walked casually back to the field via a pole up on two tyres, which Charlie walked over without hesitation, carefully lifting each leg up.  I think he's going to be a jumper....just not sure if my dodgy lungs and dicky ticker will be up for that.

Whats that your wearing?

Just as an after thought....My dog has a blog.  
www.eastsuffolkdogwalkers.co.uk

Still No Snow, Frosty Tips and Charlie is Bitted

And still no snow in sunny Suffolk.  Although we have had some serious frosts. But I promised a snow pic I think?  Here it is..........

I stole this off someone up North.....I'm actually glad we haven't got this....
BUT....we have had minus temperatures.....So here is my top tip.. How many of you bash the water butts with a fork or something, then grab the ice with your already frozen fingers?  We use a colander....bash, pick up ice, strain water...all without touching it.

Clever huh?  So the ponies are doing well.  Lots of hay, but thats it.  They are all warm, happy and full.  Even Polly is doing well and is sound so hasn't had to be stabled.  

So yesterday Jo couldn't make it.  Being on my own I rushed around getting the basic care done....Or did I?  Oh no, I decided to introduce Charlie to a bit.  
Having loaded the trailer with hay I parked it outside the field, and went in with a bridle....well a headpiece and rubber bit.  He backed away to start with, but 2nd attempt, I opened his mouth and voila....he was wearing a bridle. I deliberately did it in the field, as I didn't want to make big deal of it.

I left him getting used to it while I put the hay out.  I was so pleased and proud of him....As they say Pride before Fall.  Slipping the bridle and headcollar off I went to the minis field.  The gate is slightly too wide to take the trailer through solo....as I found out when they all legged it past me to graze what's left of the 4 acres.  Having poo picked their field I set about retrieving the escapees.  I thought I could herd them with the tractor/trailer.....yeah right.  They had a good gallop until I finally realised they are much faster.  So I had to use my legs, and catch the buggers one by one. That's when I realised my legs were actually numb.
So all that was left was moving the fences back a bit to give them some grass, getting the frozen pipes working and poo picking the big ponies.  I actually counted the piles of poo in the big ponies field.......Yup 49 piles!! Thats 16.3 poos each............I really should get out more!  Any another top tip...If you have 7 ponies out all the time you really need a mini tractor and trailer!!

Ready For The Arctic Vortex

Yup they (who are these people that spread doom and gloom on social networking sites??) have been banging on about some Arctic Vortex for the last 2 weeks. More snow than we have seen since the last Ice-age.  Minus 14c temps.  Really?  On the Suffolk Coast?  Anyway we are ready.  Every day we get ready to wake up to a white out.  We have plenty of hay. We have new hose pipe to replace the pipe that will freeze solid and crack. The taps are stuffed with straw and covered with bins.  Every day we fill the water, disconnect the hoses and artfully drape them over trees so they point downhill. Polly's stable is clean and ready.  Jo has found some ski trousers and I have acquired a blue fleece hat/scarf thing.  Between us we look like a smurf! 
 The horses are rugged up in slightly heavier rugs with the mega heavy weight ones at the ready. The fact is we have a gypsy cob, a Highland, a Haflinger, a Welsh and 2 Shetlands, all of which are bred to withstand worse weather than we have here.  Only Polly, who is like an aged mini tb really needs 20 duvets!
But we are ready....bring it on.....lets get it over with.  Snow pix to follow....hahahahahha.....

What A Good Boy

I am so pleased with Charlie......that probably means something will go wrong. But so far all is good.  He seems to be really enjoying his 'work'.  I don't really like using a cavesson....I find them heavy and unnecessary, so I am just working him off a head collar.  The last 2 days he has been wearing a poly pad on his back with a surcingle. It hasn't been a problem at all.  He has got the hang of 'lunging' very loosely. As in he's picked up the going round in circles.  At the moment we only have trot and whoa.....but the other pace commands will come in time.  We have been carrying on with the 'follow me' games, and getting used to the mounting block.  He is happy to stand next to it, while I lean over him.  Soooo tempting to slide a leg over.  But not yet.
Today I lead him up to a pallet that was laying around.  He sniffed it, then walked over it.  Family Pony here we come..............

Proud in grown up clothes.