Daisys' tick and Dove Bafflers

Its been a hectic couple of weeks.....Whats new?  Well its got as cold as a witches tit.  Well the Easterly winds have made it feel that way...Winter is here. 
Unbelievably Daisy got a tick. You'd think it was too cold, but no the tick was there as large as life on her chest. In the old days, on a yard I used to work, the owner would burn them with a lit cigarette.  We didn't dare, in case we burnt Daisy as well.  So we tried to kill it with Witch Hazel, and smother it with Vaseline, having failed to find a tick puller.  After a few days we thought it wasn't working.....the lump was quite pussey and hard and the tick was still there.  So using animal-lintex and a lot of heavy duty electrical tape, we strapped a poultice to her chest. Amazingly it worked!  Tick dead and gone. Woohoo.
In the meantime, I have got fed up with the Dove-Pigeons that live in the barn. In the summer a Buzzard got most of them, but they have gradually drifted back.  So we installed a Dove Baffler, made of pie tins and bottles on baler twine hung up on the entrance rafter. This entailed me wobbling about on an upside down hay feeder....But it seems to have worked!
I am thoroughly enjoying my Friday Rda sessions. Its like I have never been away.....and as a bonus I take my last client out on a short hack, either riding Fern (a Dales mare), or Tilly, a little black and white gypsy cob, who I adore.

 Dove Baffler

Daisys' Tick

Riding Fern

Charlie Has Visitors and Winter Arrives

Sorry I haven't posted for a while.  I have a new laptop which is taking a bit of setting up.  And the clocks have gone back so now there is less time than ever.

Winter seems to have appeared suddenly.  Last week I was poo picking in a bra with bare feet as it was so warm. Now it's 3 layers, long boots and a hat!! The big ponies have lightweight rugs on and we have moved to the Winter fields. At least there's so much old grass we won't have to fence for a while. 

I have been sneakily getting on Charlie while Jo is busy lunging Lu. And Daisy is still excitable.  Though I schooled her the other day and she settled nicely. 

Charlie had visitors the other week. His owners came to see him. Sadly they are not able to carry on with Blossems Rescue Centre but all the ponies have homes.  Charlie was enchanted to see them, and Sara was impressed at how much he has grown.  I  assured them that he has a home for life. 

In my other life as Rda instructor last week I clipped 2 ponies.... First time in 8 years.  Bit wobbly!!

Hobbit Feet!!

First clip in 8 years!

Cat On Hot Bricks and Shetland Love-Ins

Wow its been a busy couple of weeks.  We are constantly fencing, so the horses have old grass, and we save pasture for new grass to grow.  The Indian Summer finished with 30c at the end of September, to a mere 14c for a more autumnal feel.  Goodbye flip-flops and shorts (and tan), hello hoodies and boots. Better for working the horses though.  I have set up another school and Charlie has been learning to jump on the lunge.  He has been working out where to put his feet.
Daisy has been like a cat on hot bricks.  It may be the extra sugar in the grass, or the fact her feet don't hurt, or an Easterly wind up her tail. Whatever, we have been hacking out alot, and she has taken to jogging everywhere, tossing her head, and plunging. Lu in comparison has been very good.

I have started teaching at the RDA and loved every minute of it. One of my clients from the mid nineties came in, gave me a big hug, and a photo of her sitting on my Paddy, with me beside her.  I almost cried. Another client remembered me. Theres nothing like it for a feel good factor. So if anyone reading this lives near Sutton, Woodbridge, and can spare a couple of hours Friday morning, please come along.  There is coffee, biscuits and a lot of smiles.

For another smile factor, just spend time in the field with your horses. The other day, while waiting for the water to fill up in the Shetlands field, I lay down in the sun. Straight away they both came over and started licking my knees and belly and leaning down to blow with there nostrils.  If I scratch there bellys, they try to groom me back, nibbling my hair.  Charlie wandered over in the adjoining field and flicked water all over me with his nose....The more I laughed the more he did it. He also loves a belly scratch, and lifts his head up like a giraffe.

Rain and RDA

Rain.....Yes we have finally had a few hours of rain. With the ground softer, we were at last able to re-fence the fields and finally moved the Shetlands onto grass.  They think they have died and gone to heaven. Sounds easy but it was no 5 minute job.  It took 3 of us including Chanice Who Helps On Saturdays over a hour.  Not to mention detangling the self-tangling electric wire. Oh and the destruction of the hose reel it winds up on.  That was me. It has a bit broken off mysteriously during the Summer and wouldn't turn. A bit of impatient 'repairs' from myself and it is now a manual winding hose reel.

With the extra grass and soft ground the lunging started.  Not sure why I bothered with Charlie as he has been full of Autumn vigor, and has been chasing Prudence the Bull Dog.  On Monday when I got him in to work him, he was already sweated up.  When I put him away and got Daisy in, he galloped around, thus the exercise was slightly unnecessary, although the bonding/work is worth it. I am currently teaching him to lift a hoof to say please for a polo. 
Daisy, feeling so much better with her shoes on and soft ground, got delusions of being a race-horse.  Much water-skiing was done on my part, while Daisy had a good old gallop, and ignored all commands to 'steady', ....or even 'trot'.

The other day I bumped into an old friend from Hollesley RDA, which I ran for many years.  She asked me if I would like to go back to teach.  Hell Yeah. That place was my world and I have missed it every day.  So today I went in to help. Its been 8 years.  Some things have changed...horses, helpers etc, but most of it was sooo familiar.  It felt like going home, and I have had a grin on my face all day.  I have agreed to go back and teach Friday mornings, and am so looking forward to my first session. 

Happy Shetlands

Charlie Lunging Tantrum

Daisy On Form

Indian Summer and A Rain Dance

And so we have an Indian Summer......Its the middle of September and it was 29c today. All the grass is burnt, hell we are burnt! The ground is too hard to work the ponies, and the fence posts are breaking when we try to move the fencing back.  We have been doing a rain dance. Polly has bruised soles, so is out in boots.  Daisy, with her shoes on is feeling well.  The other day I thought I would take her out and lead Charlie.  mmmmmmm......
I went round the 4 acre first.....good job really.  Daisy was like a cat on hot bricks.  In the end I had to let go of Charlie, as Daisy was plunging and bucking. I just sat and laughed as it felt so good to feel her so happy.
Luckily I had been practicing the bucking.....on a mechanical bull at a Festival. Major fun if you ever get the chance. It got very competitive. 

So today we picked up 50 bales of hay.....As I stood there surveying our hoard I said, 'We won't need to hay until October'.  Jo pointed out thats only two weeks away. WHAT????  Its still the middle of summer surely?  I panicked at that point and dragged all the rugs out.  Jo power washed them while I painted them with Fabriseal.  I mean, knowing England it'll be snowing next week!

Bull 
Riding

Waterproofing rugs

New Shoes For Daisy and A New Experience For Charlie

First the weather report......And the heat goes on.  It was 32c the day before yesterday and Jo and I were muttering about mad dogs and Englishmen, as we shoveled shit during the hottest part of the day.  We have moved Lulu and Charlie onto the 3 Acre with Polly and Daisy, as the grass is all burnt, albeit still quite tall. We have separated them though, Charlie has moved in with Daisy and Lu with Polly. It seems to be working. 
Today the Farrier came to sort out Daisy's feet. I brought Charlie in as company, and to give him a good groom, and plait his mane, hoping it will make him a bit cooler. Following the ex rays the Farrier cut away a fair bit of Daisy's toes, to expose the rotten bits.  He then put front shoes on her to give her something to stand on, and make it possible for us to work her......The last thing we need right now is Laminitus. 
I was in the stable with Charlie putting the longest, thickest plaits ever in his mane in the hope it will make him feel a bit cooler, when he suddenly spun away. I realised the Farrier had started his forge, and there was a good chance Charlie had never heard that before. When Daisy's hot shoes were put to her feet, Charlie grew to about 15hh and had eyes out on stalks.  He must have thought she was on fire! All good education, as he will certainly need shoes at some point in his life.
But best of all when we turned them out Daisy galloped away bucking.  Her feet must feel soo much better already.

cut away toes

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