A Very Special August 💗

I LOVE AUGUST.  The heat (normally) and the fact it's my Birthday month makes it Special. There has been a little heat and a little less rain, although we are currently waiting for Storm Betty to lash the East Coast. And thats it for the Weather Report.

And so the beginning of August hailed the start of Top Barn Treasure Hunt Part 2. This time we have a list of 30 treasures, but to finish we only have to find 3 variations of 10 treasures.  Of course everyone is going for the full monty (or the full 90).  We also have to complete a set amount of miles (multiples of 10).  And complete at least 1 of 5 Challenges. The challenges involve leaving where your horse lives (ie Hack out Alone, Hack Out in Company etc).  And guess what? Yup the owner of the Farm I keep Charlie at is STILL doing the drive.  TBF it is a very long drive drive, and he is working alone.  But we have until the end of September, so where theres hope and all....  I have declared 20 miles this time because the 25 of the last Treasure Hunt was a push (being on foot and all).  I am aiming to get the required 10 x 3 Treasures and at least one of everything else. Although where the hell I'm going to see a Pink Car I don't know!  And No! I am not buying Barbies car! This is deepest darkest Suffolk. Everyone drives a mud splattered 4x4. Not pink cars! 

So far we have 4 x 3 treasures and a few of the others.  Not mentioning the miles yet. But its less than 5!!!!! 

If you are into Agility (as I may be) August is the 2nd month of Summer of Sports, a whole bunch of extra classes which are fun fun fun.  So far Charlie and I have entered 5 SOS classes. I may squeeze another one in.  Just to make this month even more special I have just received our rosettes for the July monthly competitions.  

But two very special visits have absolutely made my August.

On my actual Birthday my old friend Mel came to visit from Wales. She spoilt me rotten and helped me fulfill my Birthday Wish along with Jo.  Having got Charlie used to being mounted and having me doing weird stuff on his back over the last few months, we were stuck on him walking on. He has never been happy with moving whilst carrying me.  We have spent a long time building up the correct muscles, to help his confidence.  So the 10th was the day. With people on the ground to encourage him, we set off round the "School". Once in each direction. He was a superstar. No backing, rearing, spinning or bucking.  Just a calm walk in each direction.  I could feel the point where he said, "Hey I can do this".  Still on Cloud 9.

Yesterday my good friend Amanda came to visit from Co. Durham.  We also had a great day.  Between us we got some feather off Charlie and had lunch in a local cafe.... And she brought me the most amazing present. A pastel she did of my old dog Scrumpy. Tears were shed. Its amazing....

Amanda is happy to do commissions and is just as talented doing horses, so if you would like your horse/dog/cat/rabbit painted, please message me, and I will pass you her details. 

Have a good Summer, Treasure Hunt, Summer Of Sport and speak to you next month xx

Build The Ark, Summer Of Sport and Another Treasure Hunt

 And so to the Weather Forecast........For the rest of the month it will rain!  As it has done for the last week or so.  In between the rain there will be blustery showers, interspersed with Heavy Downpours causing flooding.  This time last year, our grass had become dust.  This year we have TOO much of it. Our lard (and lami) prone natives are a challenge, although with a combination of a Track System and Strip Grazing, we are holding our own. 

But it is Summer if in name only, so The International Horse Agility Club    https://www.thehorseagilityclub.com/join-the-club/  is holding its Annual Summer Of Sports.  As well as the usual monthly competitions there are loads of fun classes to enter over the next 2 months. These can be entered individually and as a team. Charlie and I are in a team called Brit Chicks Rock (or something like that). 

So far we have done Wild Agility .....basically obstacles in the 'Wild', and Act Your Shoe Size which is huge fun ......my entry can be viewed here : https://youtu.be/BnbrlTPrzvA .  

For the last week I was dog sitting for a friend.  And there is a Horse and Hound Class.....Can you see where I went with this?  We had a 20 minute practice where I realised the Pivo was not going to recognise a dog as a horse.  Especially when said horse was wandering around loose. I didn't have a Glamorous Assistant to hold on to the spare animal.  The Following day with only another 20 minutes to spare, I got it filmed from a distance, but both Charlie and borrowed doggo (Luna) were brilliant.  Except for the bit when Charlie wandered across in front of the camera.  Luckily he didn't stop and only blocked a part of the film where Luna and I were going from one obstacle to the next.  In case you are wondering I can't use my own dog.  As great as she is at Agility type stuff, she would try and eat Charlie. 

I am extremely proud of Charlie for getting 2 x 1sts in Junes Agility Competitions. With great scores.  As we have only recently moved up into Advanced I really can't ask any more. 

And what of The Top Barn Treasure Hunt? We completed our final miles in time, although our Horse Landlord decided to start concreting the bottom of the drive so we never did get out to get our Thatched Cottage and Pond.  Although someone did turn up on a bicycle.....the day after the Challenge ended. 

Huge congrats to those who did 200 miles, or found 50 treasures, or did both. I take my hat off to you all.  Now I am left with Treasure Tourettes.  The compulsive urge to shout out random words like "Butterfly" or "Ice Cream Van".  

But not to be left wandering round like deranged zombies, peering at houses to see if they are Edwardian, Rhi from Top Barn has devised Treasure Hunt pt 2, running through August and September.  I have to join. Even if Charlie is not ready to go hacking.  Even if I can't walk far.  Even if we may not complete the 5 new challenges (which all depends on actually leaving the Farm!). I still have to join.  If you want to join, this is hopefully the Link to Top Barn Online.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/topbarnonline

I'm hoping the links I have included will work.  I struggle with all this Social Media Linking stuff.  Too old innit.  So if you end up with the Bus Timetable for the No. 64 I do apologise. If they do work, perhaps you could check out this one and hit subscribe. For Charlie xx

https://www.youtube.com/@charliethetrickpony/featured

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.

Brrrrrrr......It's A Cold Cold Summer, The Treasure Hunt Madness Continues! And The Suffolk Show

 YES - I Am Going To Bang On About The Weather!!!!!   I mean WHAT is happening?? For the last month we have had not a drop of rain. Or Sunshine, or Warmth, or a change in the bloody wind!  That wind has constantly blown in from the North East.  The only variation is the speed. Somewhere between 15mph and 30mph.  It's cold.  Really cold.  Around 12c in the constantly grey skies.  I am still wearing fleece lined leggings, and vast fleece hoodies. And fluffy socks!!!! I'd Like To Complain!  I am also well aware that only half the country will understand.  I see the Weather...... I see the West is basking in summer temperatures.  

At least with the lack of rain, the eaten grass is browning off. I know that sounds odd, but with a bunch of natives ( and 2 of them metabolically challenged) the sooner the grass turns into standing hay the better. Mind you its become a mallet job to hammer in the electric fence posts in the ever expanding track system.  

And so the Top Barn Treasure Hunt madness continues!!  Some people have my complete and utter admiration. People have been travelling their horses on incredible long trips to get a picture of the Ocean. Makes me feel guilty as we are only 6 or 7 miles from the Ocean (North Sea) and yet we cannot get there!  Charlie can now be ridden 4 steps without throwing a class A wobbler.  But 7 miles may be pushing it!  And sadly no trailer.  Others have been hanging out besides motorways hoping to catch an Eddie Stobart Lorry!  Or calling 999 in order to spot a police car ( you know who you are).  And then there are the people who have camped with their horses in order to catch a sunset and sunrise.  Something I may consider if this never ending cloud lifts.  And the 200 milers...... Wow. I can only hope to do this with Charlie in the future.

Meanwhile we are plodding along in our own style. Since the road has been widened at the bottom of our drive and all the hedges removed, we have a good view of the traffic.  So Charlie and i have been walking to the end of the Drive (which is now scary to him) and up through the Hill Field, in order to lurk, phone ready in case something interesting comes by. We also have a telephone wire running across the field, but it seems to be repellent to the local birds. Although i have had a nice time watching the Kestrels, Red Kite and Buzzards hunting.  I have seen an ambulance (but not a police car) and a white lorry. The driver assured me it was an Eddie Stobart Lorry on it's way to be painted!  So the road leads to the Coast.  A mecca for Campers and cyclists.  After hanging out for ages on Tuesday, Charlie and I were on our way back, when I glanced back.....and saw not one but two campers decked out in pushbikes!  Too far away for a pic!

So with these Treasure Hunting Walk Outs and Agility Practice we have racked up a massive 12 miles (out of the 25 miles pledged).  We have this!  Talking of Agility,  Charlie managed another 1st place in the May WO Silver Liberty Course and a 2nd in our first Advanced WO class.

As promised we have been working on a new trick.  I am getting him to pass me his saddle pad.  its a work in progress....

Last week I went to The Suffolk Show. Its been a few years since I last went.  We had a great day out doing the usual......getting free samples, spending money (like £4 for a Latte) queuing for everything and annoying all the animals trying to catch a break in their stables/stalls. We also watched the Shetland Grand National. Love it!! And the Terrier baiting.  The Terrier was great, but the general publics dogs were sooo funny.  They let 3 Cockerpoos loose at once.  One chased the bait while the other 2 chased each other.  We happened on this cute (and very tired) Suffolk foal...

And a funny thing happened.  I was scratching the ears of a large friendly Suffolk gelding.  He started to groom me back, and smelt the tobacco in my top pocket. He then curled his lips to smell it better. Haha a smiler!  I tickled his top lip, and he curled it back. Next time I said "Smile". He did. By then we had an audience. So we did it again.  I patted him and said "Sorry Boy, I don't have a treat".  A nearby spectator said she had a mint. I told her Thanks, but we really shouldn't feed other peoples horses. "I thought he was your horse" she said. "No" I replied, "I've only just met him".  "But how did you teach him to smile?" she asked. 

Well that's how it goes!

Has Anyone seen an Orange Police Car/ Butterfly/ Eddie Stobart Lorry?

 So has anyone actually spotted an Eddie Stobart lorry, maybe with the letter R in its reg, driving past a Mountain? Did you then freeze time, get a quick pic with you and your horse in view?  Or maybe you have been chasing butterflies? If you know, you know.  Yep Top Barn Treasure Hunt Mania has taken over.  Oh its such fun.  

I have read posts of people getting up at Stupid O Clock and getting pics of the Sunrise.  I haven't bothered setting my alarm.....Here in 'Sunny Suffolk' its been raining. Or throwing a Storm.....or showering!  Granted it's warmed up. Now we have 15C rain. 

However, despite the Driveway still being up (we have been driving over the bank of the now destroyed Hill Field to get in), Charlie and I have found our 10 required treasures. 

We are now searching for another 10 (some tongue in cheek).......

If nothing else, I am noticing things when I'm not with Charlie......Oh yes there's an orange car!  A Phone-box, next to a post box, near a derelict building!!  Woohoo!  Oh It's too far to walk!!!! Anyone else having these moments of madness??? 

Of course we still have the 25 miles to clock up.  As I write (Week 2) we have about another....er......20 ish to go!!!!  Hopefully next week we can get out for a few short walks down the lane to find a Pond, a Tunnel (of trees) and a Thatched Roof.

In other news......with all the rain we've had (did I mention it's been raining alot?), the grass is growing like a mushroom on steroids.  So the Laminitics are still in their small-ish bare pen scoffing hay and Simple Systems and are sound and happy.  Coco seems very happy in her own track system.  Lu and Charlie have sussed out their ever growing track system and are getting plenty of exercise charging from new grass, back to their water, hay and mates. I wonder how complicated I can make it?

Charlie won both his classes last month in the International Horse Agility Club competitions, despite my poor attempts at being the new Becks in ball control. So as promised to him, I bought him a new Head collar/Bridle from Horse Leads. Check them out https://www.horseleads.co.uk/unique-designs.

In this months Agility class i needed something for Charlie to put a foot up on.  A long time ago I filled in a Tyre with sand as a Pedestal.  Obvs it's a permanent feature in the 'School' right next to the Scary Corner (basically a dumping ground for bins, wheel barrows, old road signs) which is also permanent (due to the fact that I'm too lazy to move all the flags and other crap).  This month the Pedestal is at the opposite end to the Scary Corner!!  So it was out with the tool belt (well a drill/screwdriver and a saw), to make a Pedestal from an unused jump filler.  I am certainly not a carpenter.....measure nothing, saw and hope for the best! Of course I videoed it!  And put it on YouTube!!! For some reason over 400 people have viewed it!?!?  You too can watch this incredible piece of craftsmanship......https://youtu.be/DGQ2XnwcB4U   PS. Please Subscribe to our channel.....It costs you nothing and you don't even have to watch it...but Charlie would love it if you did https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLYQBYhWqo_WPVdz9MFkCtA/about

Aswell as the Treasure Hunt and The Agility Practice,  Charlie and I have been working our way through Connection Training.  I highly recommend it.  I am learning so much and following the course on Backing to the letter now.  I may have been going too fast as usual!!  So we are working on Short-reining. And I was doing Yoga at 7am this morning! All in the Course!

With all this going on I feel we are neglecting our Trick Training. Which is fun. And the basis of all I do with Charlie.  So I pledge here to dedicate more time to learning a new trick (I have so many in my head).  So next time I promise to have a new trick in the bag.  In the meantime, with the Coronation here in Britain of King Charles 3rd, I had a little fun Coranating (a new word....What actually is the real term?) My Prince Charlie!  https://youtube.com/shorts/ulpAqMkjY8Q?feature=share

See you all chasing Butterflies.......

Top Barn Weather Curse Strikes Again, Treasure Hunting and Field Disaster!

 Well we are on the verge of the Top Barn Treasure Hunt.  It starts tomorrow. The last few days have been Springlike.  Actual Sunshine!  And Warmth! I removed several layers to reveal lily white skin. But the Top Barn Weather Curse is about to strike.  Yes its clouded over. Ready to rain tomorrow....On Day One of The Treasure Hunt ( and a Bank Holiday obvs).  Have you seen the weather chart for the 2nd week of May?  Solid rain here in Deepest Darkest Suffolk!!!  Top Barn challenges have become a signal to the Gods to send the worst weather. Last year in the middle of filming a Stressage Test, I was attacked by giant hailstones!

So on to the Treasure Hunt itself.  There are several items I cannot find here in DDS.  Like Mountains!  Or Eddie Stobart Lorries.  Luckily we only have to find 10 of the 50 options.  I've picked off several I can find on the Farm.  Which is great. Most especially because in the coming week, there are Roadworks actually on the driveway to The Farm.  Yup a whacking great ditch will be trapping us in.  As I don't live there, it will be effectively shutting us out too! But more on that later!

So no doubt everyone signed up to The Treasure Hunt, will have spent the last few weeks checking things out.  And possibly following Orange cars (or was that just me?).  I for one have no idea what an Edwardian Building looks like.....I may be knocking on doors to ask people when their house was built. Errr...Anyone know what year that would be?  Cobbled streets in DDS?  More chance of a Mountain. The other day a Police Car came to The Farm (more on that later). What are the chances of them coming back?   So for the general public....If you see a maniac with a horse taking pics of your Orange Car, or chasing you down if your registration plate contains the letter R, especially if you are parked in front of a dry stone wall, on a cobbled street, with a Mountain/Ford/River behind you, please do not be alarmed.  PS Apparently photo-shopped pics are not allowed. 

And so let me tell you of our field disaster.  We have 3 fields.  The 4 Acre which we use in the Winter, The 3 Acre which is our Summer Field and The Hill Field which we use in Spring and Autumn.  We had only recently moved to The Hill Field with the 3 Big Ponies, leaving the Shitlands behind in various weirdly shaped pens snaking around the Farm.  We set up a Track System in the Hill Field and added bits daily.  All was good.......Until the Roadworks began.  We knew about the Roadworks.  We knew they were taking out some trees and the corner of our lane. We had it all set up, so we were not in the way.  Then the contractors moved in........And All Hell Broke Loose.  They managed to remove our outer fence at the same time as removing the trees.  

With nothing between the ponies and the main road we had to move them quick sharp.  So it was off to The 3 Acre.  With all the rain we had in March, the grass has grown quickly. Too quickly for Daisy, who overnight showed signs of Laminitus.  Mini the Shitland, has been muzzled for a while, as she is getting 'footy' on weeds!  So it seemed logical to put Mini and Daisy together on a very small bare part of the 3 Acre, and quickly build the start of a track system next to them for Charlie and Lu. And what to do with Coco, the other Shitland?  Coco was rescued by a friend and came to us starved.  She was initially dx with Cushings.  But we had our doubts. She was put on Prascend and got worse.  She would not eat a thing.  After a session with Jade Monahan, who released her TMJ, she began to eat again.  We stopped the Prascend and Coco has had a new lease of life.  But she does need her grass to maintain her weight.  Logically she could go out with Lu and Charlie on the new grass.  But illogically Lu hates her. Charlie will do whatever Lu says and between them they quickly become bullies, so its a no go for little Coco.  So a third track system has been started in the 3 Acre just for Coco, who is close to her friends, but in her own safe space.

As we are on sandy soil and Daisy has had two sand colics recently, Jo and I began to worry she would be pulling up the tiny bits of grass growing in her pen and therefore consuming sand again.  So both her and Mini are now having massive amounts of Simple Systems unmolassed Beet Pulp and Chaff (designed to be grazed on over a long time) and hay.  Of course Lu and Charlie have FOMO, so we are having to give them a handful of hay each.

With our driveway about to be dug up, Jo and I have had to find places to park nearby. Jo has secured a space at the bottom of the Driveway. I have found a place over the road. Its a short walk to cross the road, but then I have to climb the bank and fight my way over a fence and through a jungle of brambles and hemlock. I attacked all the offending foliage with some hedge cutters the other day and hopefully will have a clear path tomorrow. Better for my lungs than the long walk up the drive. Jo, on the other hand cannot climb the bank with her dodgy hips, so the Long Walk is better for her.

With all this tree carnage going on, somebody complained.  Of course they did!  So the Police turned up. Apparently its illegal to cut down trees in Spring. Most of the trees have been strangled by Ivy and are dead anyway. And its nowt to do with us.  This is all part of a road safety scheme, so they went on their way.....even though I begged them to stay a few days so I could get a pic for the Treasure Hunt!!

In other news,  I have started mounting Charlie and asking him to walk 3 steps towards a target. Hardly groundbreaking news.......But I have finally learned to slow down to his pace, and the ratio for him freaking out and throwing me to the four winds has decreased significantly. We will continue at this slow pace.......

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!