Yes we have had Summer. After the freezing and long Winter, it suddenly got up to 25c. We vowed not to say "Its Too Hot", and merrily got sunburn as we revealed white/blue legs and shoulders. Sadly we scared the sun away and its back to 5c and raining for England! Not to mention those north easterly winds we had missed (NOT) so much. Oh hum....we gave in today and put the horses back in macs. I am actually wearing my winter coat again as well, AND moaning about how cold it is!!
BUT there are still shows to prepare for, and ponies to work. So despite the cold we have been working the ponies. Daisy, who was tripping over her feet, has had her toes shortened, and is slightly lame, so has had (more) time off. Charlie and Dora are being Worked mostly. I,m having doubts about the clicker training. Although I used it to great success in the heat, managing to get Charlie to accept a hose pipe with running water, over his chest and back, he has taken to nudging me in the belly for treats, even (or especially) when we are not clicker training. The boy is sharp....and has the attention span of a gnat.
He has also moved into the mouthing stage, wanting to hold everything in his mouth. He has realised his strength and is trying to use it. So clicker training is going on hold, while we go back to old fashioned discipline. There are so many horse trainers out there at the moment, with different methods its too easy to get caught up in something and get confused. If I am confused the horse is going to be even more confused, so at the moment I am closing my ears to 100 different methods, and going with my instinct and experience.
Dora the Explorer.....What a sweetie. Thinking she had retired, she has had a shock in the last month. I have been lunging her and taking her out in hand...I am just too heavy to ride her...although its tempting!! She is fine with small children on the lead rein....Ellie had a few kids on her yesterday and she was as good as gold. Luckily we have Ellies daughter Georgie, who is a very accomplished rider, to sort her out as she is a bit different when being ridden properly. A bit of a madam! Thats the pony, not the rider! The feisty temperament comes out when asked to actually do some actual work!! (Hands up....Who put too much Arab into Welsh ponies??) Still she has met her match in Georgie!
I'll just hold the hoof pick for you.
Or Pollys leadrope.
Why isn't this rearing thing working??
Well...actually its still a bit cold here.....BUT, the clocks have gone forward and at last the temperatures have found there way above freezing. "They" keep promising warmer weather...maybe tomorrow?
A cool wind aside, we spent the early part of the week fencing the Hill Field (our Spring/Summer grazing). Despite the lack of spring temperatures, the grass has indeed grown. The blossom is starting to come out on the trees, and the horses are shedding vast amounts of winter coat. More telling the Arabs next door, have moved over the road onto there summer grazing. Spring is unstoppable!
So yesterday we moved the 3 bigger ponies onto the Hill Field. They were very joggy on the way over, having clocked us fencing the day before. This morning Chanice (who helps on saturdays) arrived at stupid o clock, and caught all 3 of them laying down, fast asleep in a food coma. Yes I know its Friday (school holidays!!). Trade off for a full belly is work.
After a good session removing last seasons coats, Charlie and Daisy were ahem....worked. BTW Jo and I have both acquired these highly fashionable grooming gloves. Jo has a pair which cost more than my single cheap one....but they are both SOO effective. There was enough hair on the ground to stuff a pillow, and its just like stroking your horse. Goodbye Brushes!! The horses loved it, and nodded off.
Charlie and I went off to do some more clicker training. He was very good, and I can now walk/stand all the way round him, while he stands glued to the Target (a sock on a cone). Next up Daisy. Ahem. As she is known to get very springy on spring grass, we had hoped to lunge her quietly in trot. I mean my "school" isn't really wide enough to canter in. Daisy had other ideas, taking off immediately. As the line had got between her legs I let go and 5 minutes later we caught her for another go. This time, after water-skiing several feet, I had to let go or break a finger!!. Chanice and Daisy have a great bond, so she managed to grab her, whereupon we just unclipped her, and let her have her mad five minutes...I mean, we loose schooled her.
Finally, unfit and heavy breathing, Daisy stopped and allowed Chanice to lead her round quietly. Oh Hum. Still its nice to see the old girl enjoying life!! She also did some impressive sliding stops, and a fantastic flicky toed trot.
On Wednesday, Nancy had a lesson with Ellie, on Polly. Ellie has 5 children! Luckily she only brought 3 with her. The eldest Georgie, and the youngest,twins Billy and Ted, (approx 16 months old). They are sooo funny. They are toddling about in that drunken, falling over stage. I would make a crap mother as I spent my time with them crying with laughter. Totally fearless, they battered their way in with the Shetlands who proved themselves very good nannies, nudging them up on their feet when they tumbled over. Both wanting "Up", they ended up on Polly, being led round. Health and safety out of the window!!! But darling Polly is actually an angel and worth her weight in gold with children. She would Never Ever dream of being naughty, so the twins, and any other child that rides her is as safe as can be.
Fantastic Grooming Glove in action.
Daisy full of "Spring"
Starting young....on Polly who has taught dozens of kids to ride.
Yes thats right....The importance of poo. As you all may have gathered I am a great believer in horses being kept as naturally as possible. 'Tucking the horse up in bed' goes against all its natural instincts. Horses only sleep in 15 minutes burst, for four hours a day. So in a stable they do not sleep peacefully all night, but get bored. They cannot satisfy the natural urge to wander about. As herd animals they rely on other members to alert them to passing lions. Its no good telling them their are no scary lions.....Unless there actually are where you live. So in a stable, alone, they are probably on full alert all night. Anyway I digress.
So, our horses live out 24/7. That being the case all the poo is in their fields, not churned up amongst straw. This gives us two major benefits. One, we get to hang out in the field with the herd for longer each day, which increases our bond with them, and allows us to observe their natural behaviour. At a glance we can tell if all's well. Two, we are intimate with their pooing habits. Poo is a great indicator of health. We can see if its a bit loose, a bit hard, sandy, wormy etc. We also know exactly how many poos there should be.....Yes I have counted them many times!!! This gives us an advantage in managing their diets. We are on sandy soil, so at the first indication of sand in the poo, we feed bran mashes with pysillium in.
In so many bigger yards, the actual yard managers rarely get their hands dirty, so can't possibly know whats going on with the horses health. When I ran a bigger yard, I always did the poo picking myself for this very reason, and am proud that in 10 years I had no laminitus and only one colic (and that was a new pony that I wormed as you do, without knowing she had never been wormed and the vast amount of worms that died caused a blockage).
And so to the weather report!! Its finally turned milder....although we are still expecting a cold Easter. Anyway we have been taking advantage and have started to work the ponies. All except the Shetlands have been out on various walk-outs, either ridden or in-hand. My former partner-in-crime, Tess came and rode Daisy, who was like a cat on hot bricks....full of the joys of spring, including showing how well she could rear!! The only drawback with milder days is going back in the evenings to put rugs back on. Although the sunsets are lovely and its nice to have a goodnight kiss from Charlie.
Charlie has also resumed clicker training. He may be a surfer dude with his laid back attitude, but he doesn't forget a thing. Especially when carrots are involved. We are practising him standing glued to the 'target', while I move around him, and he has been an absolute star.
And this Winter never ends!! The snow went, the sun came out....And Then....The Beast from the East sent its little cousin. Thankfully no snow this time, BUT, the 50mph Easterly winds have been bitter. Face numbing!!
At least we can use the tractor, but its still hard work, working against the Wind. I am fed up with the amount of layers I am wearing. And worn down by the bloody wind. Not helped by Facebook reminding me of last year....and the year before, by showing pictures of us riding in tee-shirts!! If the summer isn't really hot I Am Going To Complain!!
Princess Polly, who is let out every day to have a feed and graze, has discovered that we don't mind if she goes into the hay barn, so now heads that way every day. The others have lost a little weight, but went into winter as fat as pigs so its all natural.
Jo has entered Lu for the Suffolk Show again, so we really need to get her working again. Hopefully this year she can stay sound. If only Spring would appear soon...But according to the forecast The Beast is sending some long lost Aunt over to give us a white Easter.
Watch this space to see if we survive the longest Winter ever!!
Officially fed up with Winter
Polly in the Hay Barn
Charlie at the 'All You Can Eat Buffet'
The novelty has definitely worn off. With more snowfall and a cracking East wind straight off the sea, things have taken a downhill turn. No more pretty pictures or snow angels. The last couple of days have been hell!!
Battling through snow drifts in Jo's 4WD, (My pretty car is useless atm), we have got through to the yard. Obviously we have had no choice and would have walked if necessary.
Of course the hose-pipes and taps froze. And the drifts were too big to get the tractor through. Yesterday was the worst. You know its cold when your hairy cob has icicles on his beard and snowballs on his mustache! Thankfully Rob (Nancys Dad) came up with 60 litres of bottled water. Rob lugged water, while I struggled with several wheelbarrows of hay through the drifts against the wind.
Jo meanwhile, ingenious as ever, managed to rig up water from the tack room with a shower attachment. Its amazing how long it all takes in the snow!! After 3 hours, they all had water, hay and feeds.....and 2 very knackered mummies.
Today was actually better. Or are we adapting?? No actually the temperature rose to -1c. The wind had blown some of the snow away and where we had walked had flattened to a compact ice rink. Charlie had lost his icicles and snowballs. Over night someone (LU probably) had destroyed the fence and Lu and Daisy were in with Polly and Dora, and had finished their hay. Charlie had stayed put and was calling somewhat pitifully even though Dora was attached to his tail. Feeding them soon restored them painlessly to the right fields....and as I reassembled the fence, I told them that they had to wait for the hay as I was somewhat busy.
Once again I left Jo wrestling with getting water to all, and I decided the tractor may get through with the hay. It didn't get up the hill without both of us pushing, but I discovered going flat out worked.....and was rather fun.
Only 2.5 hours today!!! We must be getting good. I have no idea how people cope in countries where it snows for months on end!! I have officially seen enough snow now thank you.
Ok Still not a weather channel.....But we have some weather at last!! The so called Beast From the East has hit us with the first real snow of the Winter. Ironic that its nearly March.
Having been prepared for this, we had rugged the tractor, and stabled the hoses. (Presumably the British Train Network were also forewarned, but it didn't stop them cancelling all trains to London from here in the East. Made me wonder how the Trans-Siberian Trains operate???).
Happily the tractor started.....Being rear wheel drive it struggled on the hills though!! I know its only a lawn mower really, but surely it should be 4WD??
Anyway with a bit of shoving here and there we were able to take a lot of hay out, and poo-pick. The hoses, despite being stabled, were still frozen in the joins. Just goes to show...a warm cozy stable really isn't that warm or cozy!
Some hot water, and patience later, we finally managed to top up all the water butts. The horses also all had a feed. Clots of ice were removed from hooves, and they all felt warm and happy. This is probably the first real snow Charlie has seen in his life, as we haven't had this much for a few years now.
Polly, who eats free-range every day is not dumb. With no grass to be seen, she made her way into the hay-barn, where I found her happily helping herself to a round bale.
The dogs had fun....Prudence in particular was happy to run after snowballs. Scrumpy couldn't see the point. I just had to make a snow angel.....despite being 51!! It just has to be done. Photos galore of this pretty landscape.
But that will do now. Its amazing how long it takes in snow just to do the basic jobs. And how tiring. So come on Spring, its time.
Polly caught in the act.
Sharing Feed
Happy Bulldog
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.
