Yes, now we don't have to put hay out, our time is taken with moving fences!! With no rain in sight, we have been moving the ponies along the field, opening up new grazing, and closing off old grazing. In the hope that it will rain, and the grass will grow back for the Autumn.
Along with the sun, we have had oddly cold nights still (3c) and chilly North Winds. Yes, us English Are obsessed with the weather!!
We have been given permission by the landowner to graze the 12 acre field, which has been planted with a thousand trees, but left with 20m clearings, in which one day, in about 10 years,will contain Teepees for camping. We are now able to graze the circles.
So Jo and I set off on the tractor to explore. Wow....It was like being on Safari....without Lions etc. We actually got lost! Some of the trees are pretty tall.....some are stunted. The grass is high everywhere. Having hunted high and low for the clearings, we found 5. Unfortunately, they have a lot of ragwort in them. We had hoped to move the Shetlands straight away, but we have a bit of work to do first. And Jo picked up a tick!!!! And so we continue to move the Shetlands around. Although Sweet Pea seems to be sound, we don't want to risk her running about with Dora yet. Its times like these I agree with tethers, which would be handy to graze the little 'uns for a few hours while we are there.
Of course we wouldn't leave them tethered overnight. I don't agree with that at all. Equines being prey animals, get stressed if they are unable to run away at the first sign of danger, real or imagined. Which brings me on to a brief update from West Meadows in Ipswich. The girls from Voice of The Horse Facebook Page, worked long and hard to get the majority of....dare I say it.... The travellers ponies,off tethers last year. Despite the Admin of the group getting asbos for harassment, the council did indeed fence the wasteland/water meadows in Papermill Lane, Bramford, so that 80ish mares could run free. However, the owner has 40 or so mares on land close to West Meadows Traveller Site, that he rents off the council, so its been hard to monitor these ponies. All through the Winter there have been reports to the RSPCA and Redwings Horse Sanctuary of distressed ponies. Unable to go and check we have pursued the council about the amount of plastic hay wrappings strewn over the field. I spent a cold Winters afternoon lurking on the A14 embankment, dodging police cars and taking pics. As the council are keen on Ipswich becoming a centre of excellence for re-cycling plastic, this seemed a good place to start!! Anyway, after a council visit 2 weeks ago, this week reports have come in that two Redwings lorries were parked in the entrance of the Site. The same night, the shelter that houses the Colts waiting for the Meat Truck, was burnt down. There only seems to be about 15 ponies left on this site. This can only be good news!
In other news.... We have lots of children coming to ride at the weekend with Eli teaching them. Its all good fun and we are planning a 'Pony Day' with lessons, stable management, a picnic, Pony Painting and a Gymkhana.
Charlie joined in today in-hand. Fully tacked up i led him round. Then Jo took over the leading while I walked alongside, leaning on the saddle. He was pretty chilled and quickly got over the fact I wasn't by his head. This is extremely good progress on his behalf.... We will continue.
Daisy and Dora giving lessons
Charlie with Jo...Learning to go without me.
Polly and Scrumpy in our lovely wild flower meadows
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!!
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.
