| Archive for uknhcp.myfastforum.org Natural hoof care resource forums for all those interested in barefoot horses |
| Nic |
NovemberStill another week to go till the opening meet, but the horses have been in full work since the beginning of August, and the 2 hardest working boys, Charlie and Felix, have covered 500 miles hunting so far this season.They never cease to amaze me - we had a very fast 10 mile run yesterday, over the sort of ground that always worries me - deep, wet, trappy moorland with areas of long dead grass, which are as tiring for the horses as deep water. After 10 miles of that, Felix was only just warming up, despite the really steep climbs and drops that we an inevitable part of the morning. We did 17 miles yesterday, none of it on good ground, and thats not taking into account the ascents and descents, and honestly he felt as if he could have done the same again without any problems at all  
N |
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| cptrayes |
Us too Nic. On a moorland hillside, up and down through at times knee deep bog. And two long canters on appalling stone-on-concrete/packed limestone tracks. I wouldn't have done those paths on a shod horse at a canter in the past, but Radar was completely unconcerned and is well and happy this morning.
To top my day, on his sixth time out, having only been broken in this spring, he is already popping hedges over four feet high as if he has been doing it all his life. I can see from people's faces that he's the horse they want to be on. Plenty of them have told me so as well, so I'm very proud of him. He has the most perfect feet I have ever managed to get on a horse - straight sides, concavity, great big broad frog, strong heels, not a mark or chip to be seen. Feet to die for. Jazz has sailed through the late autumn grass flush which made him very footie on stones this time last year. I credit that to increased magnesium and a swap to brewer's yeast from Yea-sacc. I stopped restricting his access to daytime grass four weeks ago, so it's not that. Button the little mustang, sorry, Shetland, has the sweetest feet I have ever seen on a tiny pony and has not had a hint of laminitis either. In spite of ad lib haylage and plenty of grass. That may simply be because he is two and still growing, we'll see next year. He is, actually, the most difficult to trim because he doesn't work, so his feet don't wear down and have to be rasped off. A job for which I need a child's stool to sit on and my reading glasses on! C |
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| stormybracken |
I've been dying to contribute to this section for ages, and its not in the same league, but Storm is finally able to walk on the stony woodland track! Unfortunately it is in-hand as part of his rehabilitation - the onion is being peeled - but looking back over the last two and a half years he has NEVER been able to walk either in-hand or ridden more than once a week on these tracks without boots, and he's been out for 30 minutes seven times in the last ten days totally barefoot. Fantastic. 
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| cptrayes |
Hey it's all about milestones and you've hit a BIG one!! Terrific!
C |
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| brucea |
Oh cool StormyBracken - tremendous to see the progreass ain't it!
We have had a day of torrential rain. Two of the three roads to our place are completely blocked and the third is heading that way. Lots of cars stuck in the floodwater - pulled two of them out on the way home becuase they had kids, but got fed up of wading knee deep to pull people out of holes they should have had more sense than to get into with small cars! A 4x4 is a nightmare a the diesel pump but so good to have in the winter! One of the appraoch roads was about 4-5 foot deep so had a long detour Normally would not be so bad but the land is already waterlogged after the last two to three weeks of rain so there is nowhere for the new water to go. Add that to the huge quantities of leaves and it is becoming a nightmare Poor horses are just sick of it - they don't want to lie down and are getting grouchy and depressed. |
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| lazeearabians |
My first contribution too
Took new boy Sid out to his first endurancy ride today. He came from Ascot sales at the end of August, took his shoes off a few days after he came home. We've been working mostly bootless at home as he transitioned very easily however not knowing the terrain facing us I booted up all round today (Renegades at the front/Gloves at the back). It was just a 12 mile training ride but howling with wind and I had no idea really what he'd be like - he's an ex-racer. He didn't put a foot wrong, dealt with horse stiles, trains, narrow metal bridges and our first canter. Boots all stayed put and not a slip or a slide. Very proud of him today. He'll be concentrating on his flat work over the winter - he's not quite got the hang of circles or straight lines yet - then hopefully proper endurancing next year. His feet are coming on a treat - been very surprised and impressed at how quickly they've developed. |
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| hobnob |
Welcome all new people !
We have started November off well foot wise. Took both neddies out though yesterday and had a bit of a disaster. Went over a couple of fields and over a river into the woods again. Feet were great over rocks etc but little mare bottled it jumping back into the stream to come home. It was a bit of a drop so I waded back in and took her around the long way but I didnt know it was a bog. 
I was in up to my knees and she was in up to her tummy and got stuck. Luckily with alot of encouragement and me trying to be ever so brave she managed to haul herself free.  I had visions of her giving up and dying whilst I summond a local farmer with tractor and winch. But she was OK. I now feel a really bad mum.
She is none the worse for her ordeal, although she has had some Boswellia in her last couple of feeds and I have managed to brush the smelly bog mud off her now. She is actually full of it ! I think she is quite delighted to still be alive and a bit proud of herself for being SO brave.
I thought ponies were supposed to know where bogs were !!?? |
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| brucea |
Wow - thank goodness you are both OK.
She was calling your bluff Hobnob 
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| horsesfirst |
Welcome to newbies and congratulations to all who ventured out and did stuff. I admit I hid indoors and cooked today.
This gave me a delightful vision of wibbly wobbly progress across the field.
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| cptrayes |
MORE cooking! How much more can your freezer take ?
Ex-racer Arab or ex-racer TB, can we know? I'm guessing TB from Ascot? C |
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| lazeearabians |
Nope, purebred arab - from the yearly Sheikh Mohammed dispersal On one hand you could say he's come down in the world from being owned by one of the richest men on the planet but equally he's now barefoot so it's worth the drop in income bracket owner!
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| gossip28 |
This is my first entry too! Thought it would be an interesting thing to do to keep an eye on progress. My 15 yr old WB mare was rock crunching 18months ago, then has been off all this time due to having a foal, ringworm, moving to a derelict house on a mountainside in the Forest of Dean & other circumstances..!
We have finally started work again! We have no arena, no flat area of field & massive steep hills in all directions, so are only riding out every other day as its so much to ask a very unfit horse. We are sticking to roadwork, but do have a very long & stony drive to get in & out of which she really isn’t keen on at the moment so she minces down the narrow strip of grass – who am I kidding – weeds! to the side of the stones (Am thinking of having pea grit put down the weedy side of it.) We are building up very slowly, but so far so good on the roadwork. Her hinds are quite flat now, one more so than the other, but the fronts are looking good & nice heel first landings on all. Her lateral cartilages, digital cushions & heel bulbs were amazing before all the time off, so will be keeping an eye on them over the coming weeks for signs of positive changes…I really need to buy a camera would love before & after photos. |
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| Roobarbs Mum |
Took Angel's shoes off mid-October and I've been walking her out in-hand for 20-30mins every other day to get her feet transitioning. She's now got a lovely collection of frilly edges where all the flare has broken off up to the nail holes and her proud frog is not starting to shed.
I measured her feet for some hoof boots when I first took the shoes off and her feet were wider than they were long (not anymore  ) and the right feet were bigger than her left.
On Friday my son (11yrs old) suddenly announced that he wanted to start riding again (3yrs ago he started having lessons and I got him a pony but after 6 months he sold the pony to a classmate for a £1 , and she started riding BB until she got too big for her).
Apparently, according to him, Angel likes him and had asked him to ride her  so I tacked Angel up and he rode her for an hour on leadrein and she was really good, walked out on tarmac and some quite stony paths and seemed to be okay and coping with the surfaces.
Rode her myself on Saturday and did 1 hour in the woods and she was reluctant to trot on some of the sandy paths but enjoyed walking and was really striding out so I just let her pick her paths and I was quite surprised that, given the choice, she preferred to stay on the hard tracks which had some quite sharp small stones on them. She didn't try and go on the grass at the side but was happy just picking her way along. Alex rode her again on Sunday for 1/2hr and managed to do a bit of trotting off-leadrein on the way home. I'll re-measure Angel for some boots when she's had the frilly bits trimmed off but at the moment, apart from some lady-in-labour breathing when we first set out accompanied with some major eye-rolling, she seems to be coping with the going. The stones etc don't seem to bother her when she's coming home and she's got a real march on, just when we first set out so I think most of the breathing etc is just theatrical as when I thought she WAS finding it difficult when I first started leading her out I turned for home after a few minutes and she started jogging and cantering sideways on the same going she couldn't even shuffle over
Roobarb is going great, still crunching over everything. I've been told several times by some very well-meaning people that "it's ok to just play about without shoes on but I'll have to have shoes put on if I want to do any serious work with him" and that "it will be such a shame if I don't shoe him as he won't ever reach his full potential and I'd be denying him his chance to shine" It's good job I was riding out in front and they couldn't see me smirk as they then asked if we could walk as their shod horses couldn't cope with the stones and Roo was striding out in a lovely floaty trot
Lucy |
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| QAR |
Ps feet are fab at the mo. He'd been feeling the bigger stones a bit in the summer but he stomped over the stony car park when he went for his lesson on Saturday and wasn't at all bothered. Andy was having a chat with another lady there who tried BF but went back to shoes cos her horse was footy on stony tracks. She's decided it really can't be done if you want your horse to work and was asking if we were still barefoot or had shoes 'yet', like going back to shoes is inevitable
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| Terry |
Sounds like yesterday was fun Ang, shame I missed it but had to do a family favour instead.
Winter has certainly come upon us, lovely wind and horizontal rain!! Boys all doing extremley well and only ridden 2/3 times a week now. Concentrating upon a young warmblood ready for some 4 year old dressage classes, he loves striding out up the mountains over the rocks, then Amanda has to focus on circles
Terry |
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| Chris Thompson |
Am I missing something here?? Their shod horses could not cope with the stones?
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| Roobarbs Mum |
I know - totally shocking or what
Mind you, in the horses defence, they are shod appallingly. The farrier is nicknamed P...ing Longtoe by other farriers
Since deciding to try and keep Roo barefoot I've become obsessed by feet and trimming and shoes (can't always retain the info or say WHY the feet look wrong but at least I recognise it). I'm amazed by the attitude of some horses who just carry on regardless of their feet and the balance and do a really good job of performing what they are asked, it makes you wonder just how fantastic they could be given half a chance. Lucy |
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| Chris Thompson |
Lucy:
You will know you are a true barefooter when you go somewhere like the New Forest and instead of taking photos of the ponies you take photos of their feet 
See what I mean
You get some funny looks from everybody else Chris |
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| hobnob |
Thanks Bruce - wont be doing taht again in a hurry !!
Last time i went to New Forest I couldnt help but look at wild feet too !! It was all OH could do to stop me getting out to scrape bot eggs off legs though !! |
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| Roobarbs Mum |
Chris - Looks like I'm just a trainee barefooter
I'v been reading how well everyone else is doing with their horses and it's a really good to know it can be achieved if you are committed enough. Lucy |
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| Nic |
Chris, I used to live in the New Forest - we had those nasty, flared, lame hooves going past our door every day  A testament to the fact that wet, stressed, overgrazed grass is not a good environment for hooves...
What a week its been, with dreadful weather here, though nothing like as bad as its been for you guys in Scotland Here's to a better weekend for everyone 
N |
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| Chris Thompson |
Looking back at my pictures of the NF ponies, those that habited pub car parks seemed to have better hooves that those living in the boggy grassy bits. But I do agree with you in general
Amen to that. Hope you have not been washed down into the valley. C |
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| brucea |
Well if Nic is flooded where she is then we are all royally scre**d!!!! Rained a fair bit today but now the temperature is dropping and we are having frosty nights and some sun in the mornings - so it's watch the grass time. Gritters were out on the roads so it may drop quite far down tonight. Ponies seem to be a lot brighter on the Ron Fields Remount 1 - giving it to all of them in preparation for the move. Taken cob off sugar beet as he seems to be bloating on it. |
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| QAR |
Frozen here this morning and I drew the short straw and got the old car which doesn't defrost itself very well . Time to dig out the Seal Skinz I think
Mr P and OH went dressaging yesterday - P stomped over the horribly stony track again which I was very pleased to see and they went and scooped 5th place in the prelim and 6th in the novice. OH is very pleased - they've made a great improvement since last month with some really positive comments. He only did the novice as he thought he might as well while he was there, only learned to rein back properly the day before and certainly didn't expect a placing. Very pleased with, and for, both of them My turn next week - area teams SJ.
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| Jane |
Max and Magic went stressaging yesterday. No big deal to Magic, but another pretty major milestone for my navicular baby!
He was the perfect pony, and got 60% in his test doing everything as and when asked. Video on the blog
(don't tell anyone but we might even be eventing by next spring!) |
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| brucea |
Well - so far so good. Went to the new yard tonight expecting to see little laminitic pony hobbling around, Link with three legs, and the cob's head had fallen off...
But Bramble's fine and was on top of the 15 foot high muck heap braying a the donkeys in the next field, Apollo is fine and Link is OK but missing his friends. Now Bramble has access to grass - but is chosing to eat hay, and seems to be OK so far. So there is grass, and there is grass... Keeping on with the Remount 1, added in the Yea Sac and doubled the MagOx in the short term. Seems to be workign touch wood. And the best thing? The 79 year old lady who is our landlady, and an ex event rider herself, looked at our horses and commented "they look like good functional feet - I always kept mine barefoot and the vets were always horrified, but they did very well and I just didn't see the point on spending money on shoes when they didn't need them at all - it's all a nonsense you know" ...could have knocked me down with a feather!!!!!
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| sarahh |
Bruce, you've struck gold! So glad to hear your clan are doing ok at the new yard
x |
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| brucea |
I think so Sarah!
I had my first hack out on Link this morning into the woodland adjoining the new yard. There are miles and miles of tracks. I used to hack up there about 6 years ago with Link and it has not changed much - but what has changed is that we were cantering up a track over all sorts of stuff - even quite rough rocky stuff - and I remember when we were last on that track he struggled up there in shoes and was picking his way over those rough bits. It was no trouble for him today. Interesting to see the changes over that time period. We were not using boots either!
What he did struggle with though was the field of mini shetland ponies we had to pass - all big horses know that shetlands are really evil little cannibals and will eat them given half a chance. The donkies were quite interesting to get past too - but that was more "What the **** is that?" On the way back he walked on the furthest verge giving them warning snorts all the way!!!
He really is a 1 ton bunny rabbit.
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| Nic |
He's right to beware of the donks, Bruce - they have a particularly evil sense of humour and find it hugely amusing to bray and then watch the effect it has on horses who haven't heard donks before
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| lazeearabians |
Two notable things today.
A couple of weeks ago I moved two of mine to a livery yard in a village on the moors above Darwen where I used to keep my horses a couple of years ago. The hacking up there is simply the best in the area, though typical of moorland it's mostly quite stoney tracks, especially after lots of rain! And we get lots of rain up there. The weather has been nasty since we moved so we've only really hacked round the village and up round the bridle path that's sheltered in the valley. I've done that on Haj with no boots a couple of times and he coped no problems with the stoney track... but we were only walking and trotting. This afternoon I decided to take him into the woods - again mostly shingle paths or stones or cobbles. When I used to ride in there I used to worry constantly about slipping - shod hooves and slick stoney paths = lethal. There's lots of steep ups and downs too which we used to tiptoe down. I opted to go without boots - his feet are coming on a treat and as he'd managed on the shorter rides I figured lets give it a go. I've competed him this season in boots because his shoes only came off in June and haven't done anything challenged without boots as we only had very foot friendly hacking before. Anyways we set out in the drizzle. Haj was very bubbly and keen. We were soon doing power trot along the road to the woods - this road is very slippy and you take your life in your hands with a shod horse. Oh no - we powered along, then he decided canter was the thing, so we cantered (feeling like naughty schoolkids) all the way to the end of the woods. Then into the woods, breezed over the slippy cobbles, skimmed effortlessly down the slope (apart from slight blip where big scary dog came gallumping towards us which almost resulted in a spin and disappear back the way we came move but brave Haj dithered then stood his ground). Then and this is the first notable thing we got to the bottom of the slope where you turn right and head through the woods back towards home. It's been two years since I last rode him there but he absolutely remembered where we were and that this was the place we always canter. It amazes me that horses can remember so well - they're just such incredible creatures. Anyway he was off like a rocket. We cantered all the way back through the woods - the places where I always used to slow because of fear of slipping I just kept going. He felt so sure footed and balance. The last bit of the woods is a narrow track that twists and turns up the side of the valley, finishing in a very steep, very rocky slope. Again he remembered this was a cantery bit and he was away like a bloomin exocet missile! His feet didn't miss a step. He negotiated the twists and turns on the muddy track easily without slowing and attacked the steep rocky slope like a lion attacking a gazelle. The rocks did not worry his feet one bit. I think, for today at least, he finally qualifies as a rock cruncher. So the two notables: 1) Horses have amazing memories (and also love to gallop as much as we do!) 2) Today was the most I've ever asked of his hooves since taking his shoes off and they seemed to pass with flying colours. Plus - isn't it great not to worry about slipping
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| sarahh |
Wow, sounds like fab rock crunching fun ride. Well done you and Haj
x |
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| stormybracken |
Sound brilliant, well done.
Is everyone moving yards at the moment?
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| QAR |
LOL Mr P agrees - I took him to some CR SJ last winter and he just could not come to terms with the small ponies in the collecting ring, much to my amusement
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| horsesfirst |
Only the lucky sods that can get a headcollar on...........
Well done Haj!
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| hobnob |
Still doing good down here ! The last few days I have been cutting hay down and moving elec fence onto old grass twice a day as opposed to once. IR pone seems fine with this at the moment. We have had no frost yet so will have to rethink the morning 'fence move' when this happens !! Fun fun fun !!! | ||||
| brucea |
We tool Bramble to a show at Faraway and he was very interested inthe shetlands - but the Falabellas just challenged his concept of "a horse like me" a bit too far! When we drove past them the gig took a great big swing! 
Well we are going to try giving Link and Apollo acess to the second of the 5 fields today - it about 5 acres, and is completely natural short grass, cropped close by previous horses and sheep. Apollo has been perfectly fine on this grass, no problems and he hasn't gone splurty and runny like he did at the last yard. So there's grass and there's grass. Bramble seems to be ridiculously well - we are waiting for the other shoe to drop. |
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| brucea |
Right - Day 4 at new place.
Bramble still fine - but he has made himself a mud wallow and has been having great fun. So he climbs the old muck heap, eats the nettles, slides down and wallows in the mud. Nice. Feet seem OK, no pulses, no heat - and he has shed off some weight in the last few days I think - just charging around! Link chilled, happy and relaxed. Apollo still being a nutter. Big changes in their poos. Link's has lost he greasy shininess that he had at the last yard. Apollo's are much less loose than they were and are looking more "digested" than they were. Brambles - now his are softer and slightly shiny - previously they wee black and hard like deer poo. Like Tertowie the water is spring fed from teh hill behind the stables. But unlike Tertowie the water here is sweet and fresh tasting and "light" in texture (if that makes any sense) - Thewater at Tertowe was slightly earty in taste and seemed stale. For the first couple of days they were always at the troughs. We are keeping them on the Ron Fields Remount 1 [url]http://www.ronfieldsnutrition.co.uk/horsesremount1.htm [/url]for a few more weeks, and also giving them Yea-Sac twice a day. Seems to be making a difference to them being able to cope with grass, and the change of environment. Ron Fields gave us a sample of his new cat product catTonic for our stripey one - he has a bad hip from an accident as a kitten - it seems to be making a good difference to him. Such a pity he does not do a human version of the Remount 1 though! I had a few sips of the horse one and it tastes rather more-ish. |
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| cptrayes |
I thought it was just me!!!!! I could swear that I could tell whenever Scooby was having an "episode" by the particular greasy shininess of his poo. I began to see the same in Jazz's, which is when I started to really restrict his grass intake. How interesting ...... C |
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| brucea |
No CPP it is not just you!
His poo has been like that for ages except when a) I had him away for a few days at a friends place up north b) he moved to this new yard or c) he had the screaming squids because the Tertowie grass was so rich in springtime! I am coming to the conclusion that the gras at Tertowie was a bit screwed. It was an agri college teaching farm for many years before the current owner bought it - rich cattle fattening grass - and Lord only knows what they had fertilised/sprayed it with over these years. Speaking to the owner of the current yard - the grass has been unfertilised and unploughed for over 30 years. Just the way it should be! |
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| stormybracken |
Riding NF limited at the moment due to weather as unrugged (oh, and work), but managed to fit in 40 mins late yesterday afternoon for a wonderfully relaxed hack home through the woods. Have been a bit worried for a couple of months about his lack of rock crunchiness as the last of the old hoof wall grows out it has been splitting, although he's been OK except on the most unforgiving of ground. No problems last night, and so lovely to be able to not worry about being caught on the roads as the light suddenly fades, such a beautiful evening.
He's discovered he can jump when we've been playing with groundwork, and even jumped a branch just for fun on his own in the field! When he arrived a couple of years ago he had NB shoes on, and his front feet were smaller than his back, and amongst other problems I was told he could no longer jump. He was 10 years old. Might have to have a little try when riding... |
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| rose |
I rode out today with no boots on !! only in walk and trot but such an improvement. I had her out in the big field yesterday for 2 hours with no muzzle and she seemed ok when I brought her in. I have put her out in the big field overnight tonight, the first time since last winter so fingers crossed she will be ok. I'm sitting feeling a bit nervous though. | ||||
| Nic |
They'd probably used every NPK fertiliser under the sun over the years, so I bet the mineral balance and uptake was shot to pieces. It can take years to restore the soil balance, and it sounds as if, at your previous yard they didn't even try - not their fault, but you must be thrilled to bits that you've moved 
N |
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| brucea |
Absolutely Nic. Also the soil here is different - it is a dark fine loam, whereas Tertowie was a slippery, claggy, clay sand mix
I'm spending less time at this yard, it is 10 minutes drive more, and still getting more quality time with my horse! The NPK fertilisers are really a very coarse way of treating the ground aren't they. My horse smells better today too - less sour than he was the first three days. It will be interesting to see how the feet change in the next few months. I knew another horse that moved away form Tertowie and the owner had been struggling with her barefoot - and she was apparently "fantastically improved" after moving. |
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| hobnob |
Well done Rose and Bruce !!
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| SueH |
Rose yippee ! I remember first time riding Jake with no boots and what a feeling that was. good for you
Brucea - chuffed for you and you ponyeees ! sounds like you all in better place
Jake out 5x per week lots of trotting keeping fairly fit. Clipping him revealed good musculature on chest and nicely toned belly. I'm certain this is the work we've been done following Ken/Martha clinics which is helping Jake to engage his tummy muscles to lift his back, and get up off the shoulder (anti-man boob work )
Clay out 3-4 times in hand if i need to be quick plus he's had such a shit time of being ridden due to idiots at previous homes he needs loads of groundwork and loads of chilling. He seems to have stopped bracing when I pick up the reins - was pretty horrid to see. We do ride out with chums as he likes that and today well... and what an improvement in just a few weeks: even more forward going, happy to trot off and take the lead. v chuffed for the guy. Still no boots so doing ok. FEED: Jake and Clay remain on Protexin. I have slightly reduced Magnesium from full 50ml scoop to just under full to see if this together with Protexin is enough. I have added rosehip as both are stiff and evidence indicates rosehips role in joint health. give it a whirl eh? changing from hay to haylage resulted in green-apple-squits (just too strong i think) and Jake was pretty bad (liquid) so we put them bak on hay and doubled protexin dose. very quickly back on track. However Clay seemed to start coughing and I do prefer haylage, so we asked for weaker stuff, and it arrived so tried again. Both were a little 'loose' for a day or so, but the double protexin def helped and they've settled down. will monitor. |
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| brucea |
Well - still going OK - had the pony and cob and big lad all out in the woods this afternoon in the weak and cold November sunshine - and all of them were marching over the crushed rocks on parts pf the path - even Bramble who was watching where he was putting his feet but was not at all stressed about it.
Have arranged with a local farmer to drop off 2 big round bales of hay - at £25 each delivered!!!!! I could get them for £15 but I have to go get them and trailer them myself so in the end of the day in terms of time and deisel it is probably even really. Apparently that's the price of good hay up here this year - wasn't a brillaint hay making summer.
We were going through one and a half of the small bales each day between three of them (is this a lot?) and at £3 each that was getting silly! |
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| SueH |
Poos firming up with double protexin. Not perfect so will stay on double for little longer.
Upping the pace more and more with Jake since his month off earlier in the year and he's coming along.
The one longstanding problem I have when intensity goes up is that I either hack Jake alone and do plenty of trot and canter OR hack in company with v v nice people but only walk mostly with ocassional trot. Great company for Jake but its not going to keep my horse fairly fit. I also want him 'exposed' to faster company as that's where his issues are. I'm not a super fast rider but I do want my horse well exercised however seems if I am to do this I must do it alone most of the time
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| hobnob |
Portia pony behaving oddly yesterday. I think she had possibly very very mild colic ?? For about an hour, her tum bloated out and she was breathing heavier than normal and kept raising her top lip (flehmen). Otherwise she seemed fine. No sweating and looking very alert and well !
Walked her around a bit incase she needed a big 'fart' or poo and she was bouncing aroung like a good-un ! She was fine after a while but possibly a warning that the long dead grass may have more in it than I think. Feet fine I think she just stuffed her face a bit ! |
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| Nic |
Must be a late Friday the 13th thing, but I turned Felix, Charlie, Hector and Jacko out this morning - they are normally absolutely fine but today for reasons best known to themselves they obviously went ballistic.
I came back only an hour or so later to find skid marks all over the track and the field and Felix, who has never done anything of the kind before, non-weightbearing on his left front. 
Brought him in looking very sorry for himself and he has sprained a collateral ligament We've done lots of ice and anti-inflammatories but its very hot, inflamed and obviously very sore. Stupid, stupid horse - the only thing I can think is that because he had a few days off with me being at Your Horse Live he just had way too much energy, but he has never done himself a mischief before.
Lots of good vibes for him please, 'cos at the moment it looks as if he will be off for a while...
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| rose |
Oh poor soul, get well soon vibes being sent. | ||||
| brucea |
Oh sod it Nic - poor Felix. What a plank. Hope it starts to come down and heal up soon. Wonder what set them off?
Well - I'm 50 today, came as a bit of a surprise really. "Half a century is really quite a long time" as my lad Ben unkindly commented at lunchtime. So had a day to myself - a bright suny and cold one. So we went out real early on a big long trail ride in the woods behind the new stables - was out for about 5 hours. All sorts of surfaces, including what the regional council think is a suitable track for cantering on - bark and sand with rubber chips. - but in this weather it was just way too soft and Link found it stressful to ride in and was obviously concerned about slipping. On the other hand, the newer track on the other side of the hill was just great and we had lots of fun cantering it's 1/2 mile length - another regional council effort and one that has drawn much criticism from riders for being too hard and abrasive - it is pebbles with a 4 inch layer of fine powdered stone on top. We both thought it was just fine and Link powered over it without a problem - great grip and just soft enough to leave a hoofprint. Met some other folks who were complaining about it - their (shod) horses hated it altogether. Got back to the stables tired but happy, and tidied up his roll and he had a good bucket before turning him out. Link was sleeping in the afternoon sunshine when I got back to the yard after lunch and was obviously prety tired! |
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| lazeearabians |
Happy birthday brucea - sounds like you had a lovely day
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| Jane |
Oh no, poor Felix.... loads of healing vibes winging their way from Warwickshire.
Horses, honestly sometimes I think they notice when we have *not enough* to worry about and decide to give us *something*. Sigh. |
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| stormybracken |
Sounds like you had a perfect birthday brucea, many happy returns.
Poor Felix, they don't help themselves do they? The crocked one who couldn't walk 50 yards up the track on Monday after his little "incident" last Tuesday was back to his pre-accident lameness yesterday and STRODE out for 25 mins on the track in the woods! I was a bit worried that a week just eating could set his hoof quality back, but he didn't have a problem with the stones and rocks. Could have gone further, but I didn't start out 'till 4.30 as wasn't expecting more than the day before, so we came back in the dark. Don't know if it had anything to do with it, but I caught him having a fantastic roll in the morning - maybe he released something. Obviously won't start planning riding for a while, honest.
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| Helen N |
[Jake out 5x per week lots of trotting keeping fairly fit.
Clay out 3-4 times in hand I'm quite jealous Sue! How do you manage that and fit work in too? Do you go out in the dark? Mine are only ridden at the weekend now
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| SueH |
Hi Helen N well I have NO social life and NO sleep and feel so much better hearing you say that. I have since eased off as I'm completely knackered from all this.
I have today BOUGHT Clay who was on loan. Its been v traumatic  as I fellout with owner and culminated in request for return of Clay yesterday. But is finally all sorted now and have purchased looney tunes old horse for ridiculous sum of money . But he is now MY looney tunes old horse and I can stop worrying she'll take him back in temper and my other nut Jake gets to keep his companion who seems to be only gelding on the planet he'll tolerate
I am not only knackered now but much poorer than yesterday
On the other hand yesterday had its highs: my two boys were given more space (which means more grass, hence lateness in year) . This meant they have longer stretch to see YOUNG WOMEN ponyees and also can now touch them. I was considering riding although pretty tired. No need: J and Clay first went into galloping charge in new paddock, then on seeing said mares properly and in kissing proximity, went into joyous frenzy bucking galloping rolling weeing session ALL afternoon. Clay had mid-session break but Jake couldnt stop and whipped himself up into lather (despite having just been clipped) the horney dickhead. Finally on day 2 Jake had mithered the mares so much they gave in and he got to snog one. (he's a licker ) and both boys are on cloud 9.
All the time I stood there thinking "this is all fab for those lateral cartileges and digital cushions" like a true hoof nerd. |
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| Helen N |
All good news then Sue
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| Nic |
Sue, this made me laugh - Bailey the baggage let Conto, one of our old horses, do this for the first 3 days, and then just when he thought he was her number one best boy, she turned round and double-barrelled him.. All the other boys stood well out of reach saying "we told you so..."... so tell Jake not to trust 'em
N |
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| cptrayes |
Oh bugger Nic, what a pain. I'm about to Google collateral ligament because I'm not sure where that is.
Join the club Bruce, I'm one ahead of you. Amazing deals you can get on car insurance and food for being old
C ps nope, can't find it. Google will only give me collateral coffin bone injury in a horse and from your reference to heat and swelling I doubt if that's Felix's injury. Can you describe where it is for us? |
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| Nic |
Luckily for me and Felix, its a lot better - ice and a slice (of bute:? ) has brought most of the heat out, and from being rather sorry for himself he is instead now looking a bit peeved about being in
Caroline, to be anatomically accurate (for once in my life!), I am actually talking about the ligaments on the medial aspect of the fetlock - there is quite a good cross section of where it is here: http://cal.vet.upenn.edu/projects/eqdistal/xanat/fetlock/f5/xfetl5.htm I haven't had him scanned, so can't identify exactly which ligament but its probably either the medial collateral ligament, medial extensor branch of the suspensory ligament or possibly the anular ligament. I'm hoping that as he is putting weight on it properly tonight its nothing too serious...
Fingers crossed its down again tomorrow...
N |
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| hobnob |
Happy Birthday Bruce
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| cptrayes |
Nic I hope for your sake and Felix's that it is a branch of the suspensory. I had a horse do one of those and the cure is much quicker and easier than any other tendon/ligament that I know of. She was sound within a couple of weeks and fit to jump again within months, and it was a pretty bad strain.
C |
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| horsesfirst |
Nic I hope Felix makes a full and speedy recovery what a bummer!
Grace in new yard on jewel green grass is doing a more consistent heel first landing than she was at previous manky grass yard and this has moved up into trot (was only at walk). I haven't figured this out because while the manky grass at old yard was obviously stressed and therefore sugary - the new grass looks like a picture from Farmers Weekly. I swear its even been manicured. They do cross graze with sheep. Maybe its slogging it up and down the much steeper hill in her field that is burning it all off. She has lost weight. Her bars are persistant in their desire to be huge, tough and very fast growing. Her feet are changing so fast the camera can't keep up. |
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| Nic |
It may be partly the time of year - I can turn all of ours out during the day now, and even Bailey stays rock-crunching. Our grass was also looking lovely till a couple of days ago (bit waterlogged now ) but still safe...
Thanks for the good wishes will let you know how he gets on
N |
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| SueH |
Best Wishes for Felix !
thanks Helen N - we hope to visit you lot over winter ! Happy Birthday to Brucea ! Snogging frenzy continues. Apparently it was the love-struck Clay the old boy not Jake who did all the snogging (I had left for boring work by snogging stage). Just shows you sometimes a bit of refinement in a gent, despite age, is all chicks want
Jake just lunges over the fence to lick any bit of flesh he can reach, no finesse
This week hacking took a dive, what with horse trading, crap weather etc. but boys exercising themselves a bit. Grass looking rough now and no issues with it so far. |
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| brucea |
Still going well...I don;t know why I am surprised - suppose I'm waiting for reality to reassert itself
Noticing a few things. Pony is keeping himself much cleaner and he seems to have lost that slightly depressed look he always had - and being ever so naughty and cheeky. We found that he can work out how to open the sliding doors at the back of the stables if we haven't really snibbed them shut - they're old so there is some slack in them - so the kids are under instructions to be very careful about this. We don't want Pony eating another box of crunchy bars (cardboard and all) or trying to eat all the tea bags again
Apollo's sheath is no longer swolen and looks more in proportion to him. He always seemed to have a big swolen sheath - maybe it is the greater movement. I trimmed Link's feet properly the other day for the first time since surgery and it was OK. He very much self trims now and only needs his roll tidied really. I can;t do as good asjob as several hours over stony forrest tracks do. However he has a crack on his right toe and a hole behind it about the size of a 5p piece. He's had seedy toe there before, and I don't think it really ever cleared up. So cut away some of the slightly softer weaker horn at the toe and unloaded the crack. Treated the whole thing with White Lightening and maybe that will sort it out. I think it needs a proper excavation up the full length of the crack but I don't have the nerves or knowledge for that so I'll leave it for Anni when she next visits Doesn't seem to be causing any problems for him though - he was rock stomping on our big long hack on Tuesday.
Despite being on grass now, the cob is actually losing weight and looking a little more trim than he was before - the grass is old old pasture and he's enjoying hoovering up all the windfallen leaves! We're arranging the pasture for the one who needs least, and "bucketting up" the one who needs a bit more - only way that makes sense at the moment. Having two bales of hay delivered tonight - trying a different supplier altogether so just takign the two at the moment - hay from a diffrernt area and soil type than the hay we used to get. |
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| SueH |
Must record this. Clay's abscess site and crack on left fore nearly grown out. Its been plugged with white lightening and cotton wool changed daily or twice daily since digging out by vet. Nearly grown out now and there is about a 5 mm hole now with 1-2cm fine crack upward from it. the cotton wool plug no longer stays in as long is the only thing and with all the wet weather white lightening is more quickly diluted. Hopefully on the home straight with it though. certainly seems not to be causing any issues now. | ||||
| Nic |
Bruce, you should find that works a treat if you do what SueH has done and also ram cottonwool soaked in WL up there to keep it clean. Horseshoe nail is weapon of choice for ramming
It will take time but if you keep it clean and plugged you will find that it grows out nicely without the need for aggressive excavation. Felix much better today - sound on it and no perceptible heat so let him out of box and into barn and small yard. Came back this evening to find all still looking good so am hoping that it was a very minor sprain of a very minor ligament :need fingers crossed icon: If so then he should be back in work after the weekend, so thanks to all of you for your good vibes
N |
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| brucea |
Thanks Nic - I probably need to get all of the crumbly softer stuff out first though? (there's not a lot of it tbh) | ||||
| cptrayes |
From the sound of it Nic, it might be more likely that he smacked himself one with his own foot. (or someone else trod on him if it's on the outside). It's unlikely that a horse as fit as him would have pulled a ligament bad; enough to put himself on three legs, much more likely that he trod on himself! And with no shoes on, no marks to give the game away, just heat and filling.
Fingers SOOOOOO crossed that's the answer. C |
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| Nic |
Fingers crossed indeed Yippee for bruising rather than spraining He was very sore on it, so it must have been a hell of a whack
N |
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| SueH |
Great to hear Felix improving, keep fingers crossed he continues.
Brucea - vet cut out around Clays crack initially to allow abscess to drain out. The hole about same size as your guys but I didnt attempt to clean it at all or scrape any crap out. Here are some pics: crack which led to abscess before de-shoeing: 
Click to see full size image after de-shoeing 
Click to see full size image notch cut out: 
Click to see full size image Just my own experience but I would be wary of opening up too much to clean out because you may create a crevice which is initially clean which is fine BUT is then difficult to get a plug of cotton wool to stay inside. Although the temptation is to expose as much to clean and oxidise, if you plan the white lightening plug approach, think of effectiveness of the plug. Without planning it Clays ended up being ver easy to plug at least initially as the hole was wider as it went up inside the hoof wall and so the white lightening and cotton plug stayed in. Worked a treat. I'd aim for this if it happened again. |
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| brucea |
Thanks Sue,
I did actually plug and WL it for about 3 months earlier in the year late spring and that seemed to make a difference but I probably stopped too early becuase it looked a lot better. I've only really notched it to unload that part of the wall to give the crack a chance to grow out. Thankfully there is no abscess - I think this is a long term thing I need to give some focussed attention to over the next 6 months and not stop too quickly this time. It's easier when it's drier though! |
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| Nic |
Bruce - you were on the right track but these little blighters are slow and tedious to grow out - they eat up horn nearly as fast as it grows, so it takes longer than you think to get rid of. If you plug till there is nothing left to plug, it WILL go, but bear in mind the horse will probably always have a weak spot ready to be attacked again...!
N |
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| SueH |
Brucea, ooh sorry if I came across as preaching about WL as you're on it already. It is very difficult at present to keep Clay's FL recess clean. The hole that's left is just not a good shape to keep the plug in plus its just so wet. We are just at the point of succeeding and its become difficult to use this approach. However, he is due his buffing soon and this may take off what wall is there to have a hole. If so, then I will use Keratex just on that spot and on other parts of the stretched white line until the good horn comes through.
Clay now manages over an hour unbooted on lanes. Ponying him out works well. Yesterday, ponied along with Jake. Both striding out well and happy to do good pace. Quite nice for Clay who's had such a shit time when ridden, he can be with his mate, move those feet and also get hug from mum along the way. To say how poor Clay's feet were, he is better in terms of heel landing than Jake was at this stage (Clay went bare July, only 4 months ago). I am a bit more diet-savy now than I was with Jake, and also less of a mollycoddler, I think both are key for me at least. |
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| brucea |
No - I needed nagged - most men do.
I think I just stopped too early - it was looking much better and I jus tgave up doing it. But the problem wasn;t solved - as Nic said they take a bit of shifting. This time I am goign to keep going until it is all grown out - even if it takes the year!!! Lord, I just can't wait for the frosts and the ground to be frozen - so much easier to keep feet clean and healthy! Edited to add...why do I always get the "get a flat belly" advert? I'm paranoid now. Can the moderators do that? |
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| brucea |
Well an update. I have been monotoring feet very carefully - and Link seems to be getting some concavity back - his feet had gone a bit flat over the summer and early autumn at Tertowie and they are doing OK now - I guesss a change of grass can do that????.
Bramble is developing quite a bit of concavity now - especially behind - but seems to have decided that his frog is superflous and shed it all. Gone from having a reasonably plumpy little frog to having almost nothing!!! Trimmd today - fropped heels and pulled back toes a bit - his walls are thickening quite well now. There's a good 8mm wall outside the WL all the way round - this is really far better than he had in the spring. |
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| horsesfirst |
We are on the top of a hill, but still very wet. Drains everywhere overwhelmed and row of chaps trying to push the floodwaters away from Sainsburys with brooms. Very King Canute. 4X4 not to be sniffed at today.
No other member of Grace's herd turned out today, so Grace had to stay in. Had a play in a school instead and went for a couple of walks in hand. Check out her movement on the video (follow link) - if we end up resuming her ridden career I am not sure I am jockey enough. http://danceswithgrace.blogspot.com/2009/11/romping-in-rain.html Bit of fungal infection in front frogs so a day in the dry not a bad thing. She is wrapped up with White Lightening tonight. Got very good with her feet now and I can hold her foot up for the whole foot wrapping process. Picture for those who want to see progress but don't have time for the whole video link thing. 
Click to see full size image |
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| SueH |
Grace looks very happy ! what a lovely job you're doing
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| brucea |
Aw happy horsie!
Still on a new yard high. I check under Brambles tail each day - because he tends to rub his tail obsessively against anything that won't fall over, and often his skin around his plug-hole is abraded red raw and bleeding. Out with the big tub of pink ointment and slather it on at least once a week normally. Well - two weeks on, he has a soft pink baby bottom at the moment with no rubbing at all. No scabs and no raw bits! That's in spite of having some really great things he could scratch against! |
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| Nic |
Bruce - sounds like you have found pony paradise Looking forward to pics of your guys in their wonderful new home
HF - Grace looks transformed and very happy - so lovely to hear how well everyone is doing
N |
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| horsesfirst |
I am traumatised by visions of Brucea and his pink ointment. I feel the need to lie down.............
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| stormybracken |
Limited exercise at the moment, both rugless but shouldn't stop groundwork and walking out in hand, ahem.
Both just having 24x7 grass, SS Total Eclipse, mineral licks and ACV if they want them, and a small wedge of blue Horsehage, as they're choosing not to eat any hay at the moment and I haven't started on the purabeet yet, so plenty in reserve. I'm hoping the field will keep them for another two months, as I'm trying to plan next year's field use so that they start eating their summer field end of January so that by Spring there will be much less grass, and summer I suspect they'll be living off hay. Will deal with the short stressed grass situation when I come to it! The one they're in just has to cope with all this water! The 1 ton of pea gravel in a gateway is doing a fabulous job, just about holding upto the challange. Barefoot hooves are definately much less damaging than shod ones
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| hobnob |
I had to laugh at the 'plug hole' Bruce !!! Isnt it amazing what a change in environment will do. Grace looks so relaxed HF, you are doing a grand job. | ||||
| horsesfirst |
What is it about men and lotion?
I wish I could take the credit for Grace, but really its the people round me who are facilitating who deserve the praise. I thought the new yard might freak her out but so far its been brilliant. All the kids and grown ups coming to talk to her over her door, and respecting the ground rules has done her no end of good. And she is coping very well with the heavy machinery and various random happenings. All the brain stimulation seems to suit her. She has turned dark chocolate brown with cinnamon points. |
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| Nic |
I've no idea, HF - do share
N |
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| brucea |
Well, everyone knows that if you pull the plug out, the pony will deflate! |
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| SueH |
Bruce I'm so glad to hear your new yard is working out well and pony remains lotioned and inflated and HF too - wonderful to hear that Grace is enjoying her new environment, and all its funny noises. Makes you think doesnt it, as some yards dont have any farm noises, are dead quiet and squeeky clean but all nags stress heads.
.... and I am also very intrigued HF ...about your apparent familiarity with "men and lotion" ...your life sounds more fun than it ought to be my dear! well the blumin weather has really put paid to exercising. HelenN if you were jealous, you wont be now. Last few weeks been restricted to weekednd rides in rain. Have now rubber matted around big feeder so feet can dry off at shelter better. Have also barrowed tonne of crusher run to create path through mud bath of paddock. More barrowing of 2nd tonne tomorrow oh joy. Both ponies are moving a lot more round their tracks now mares are more accessible so that's good. |
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| horsesfirst |
Secrets of men and lotion will remain so until I next get sloshed. Might not have to wait long as it only takes a single sherry trifle
Was stressing about having to leave Grace for a couple of weeks. Not so much now - snuck back into yard having technically gone home to find her 'snogging' with two kids and a grown up. Although as a posh girl I think she refers to it as 'entertaining an audience' She looked very happy and in her element.
Although this morning instead of running away from the deer she tried really hard to follow them and only just stopped when faced with a pallisade fence with a stream and steep drop on the other side - so I still have something to stress about
On a more serious 'performance' note - movement and ground work improving. But fungal infection is being a pain (literally). |
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| brucea |
It's funny HF - they'll put on a big performance for you and as soon as your back is turned they will switch it off!
Well - strange thing really. I'm finding I have a good bit more time in the day - despite the new yard being twice as far away as the old one - and I'm getting more time with my horse. It's mainly becuase we are all on our own there, and just have to get on wiht things. Being just one bloke on a large yard full of wimen might sound good but it means that there are a few things that soaked up the time. It's real nice - I met one of the liveries from the old yard in Tesco's and they said they were really missing me - quite a lot. I think I know why... - Humping in feed from cars - they got it into the car, why can't they get it out? - Huping bales of shavings. Endless bl**dy bales of shavings. - Changing flat tyres - "I don't know where the spare wheel is" actually means "It's wet and muddy and I am wearing my best jods..." - Freeing brakes on trailers that have been dragged half way up the yard on a competition morning (what is it about "don't leave the handbrake on...." that's so hard to understand?) - Taking off twisted shoes - Taking off slack shoes (the last time your horse was shod, Tony Blair was still PM) - Carrying big hay nets..."I can't lift it" usually means "It's wet and dribbling and I am wearing my new jods" - Catching mares that won't come in - funny always in the dark and the wind and rain (oh...and by the way you look suspiciously dry and clean for a girl who says she's been chasing a mad mare around the field in the rain and mud...??) - Dealing with live small furry things with tails - Dealing with dead small furry things with tails - Dealing with anything with more than five legs in thier tack boxes or riding hats - Something dead in the water bucket - The yard drain's blocked (what that really means is "I clipped my horse and brushed it down the drain and ...oh, where is all that water coming from?" - Putting gates back on hinges (well actually catching them first because they are attached to your horse which you tied up to the gate and is now frantically backing across the field with gate in tow) - Pulling stalled cars out of the flood at the bottom of the road ("It's OK, you stay in there where it is nice and dry, I'll wade around up to my knees and go snorkelling to find your tow hook..") - Re-arranging cows, helping lift dead ones, replacing slats I had no idea where all the time went to. Chris probably gets the same!!! |
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| stormybracken |
OOOh, can't you move to Dorset? I've got some fencing that needs patching, some guttering that needs clearing, and a horse I'm TRYING to get sound who keeps letting himself through electrified electric fences or under slip rails into the wrong field! He knows it's wrong because he doesn't do it when I'm around, and he walks straight back to the gate when I appear Like THIS MORNING. Is there a tearing my hair out emoticon?
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| horsesfirst |
Little QH has achieved rock crunching.
All credit to the determination of her owner.
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| brucea |
Had a look at the grass in a field that had the previous occupants horses in it - but we have not used in the last four weeks. Grass is still pushing up - there are fresh green tips - definitely. | ||||
| stormybracken |
Excellent news, well done all. |
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| hobnob |
Still going great guns down here.
I am strip grazing by moving elec fence twice per day and have cut hay down a bit. Ribs are now feelable under the great fluff again so all good. Had a bit of a wobble over the last few days when I went to pick up hay from farmer. We are on a new batch of June cut !!! Argh. Its quite stalky, smells gorgeous but I cannot see any rye species !!! Worse still, I only had 2 slices of old hay left so gingerly mixed this together and eaked it out for 2 days! Luckily we had no footy episode, a couple of softer poos from madam Portia and a couple of poos with a little water from Little Man !! How sad am I !! Was going to worm this weekend aswell but will leave that to next weekend as I think I have got away with enough for the mo !!!
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| SaphRo |
Well Saph and I dont seem to be doing any performance this month. At the begining of the month we moved to a new yard where she's on grass livery and out 24/7 which she seems to like even in this gastly weather. Its wierd as now I dont have the security blanket of a stable I am able to let go and not worry when she's out in horrid weather. Last winter she was still recovering from a tendon injury, I had my stable but I planned on leaving her out 24.7 until christmas. The first night of stormy weather I went down the yard in my pj's and dragged her into her stable! But no I haven't got that option I dont feel sorry for her!!!
Her abscess is draining well, still getting some pus on the poultice when I change it. I've moved onto dry poulticing now and will do until the pus stops. She's sound and has been since wednesday. Yesterday I took her for a small plod up the lane and back it was great to ride her again and she seemed happy it was all done on the buckle and no leg from me! I dont know what the people at my new yard think of me riding out with feed sacks taped to my horses leg. But I'm really paranoid about grit and dirt getting up there and causing another abscess. I've got some keratex hoof putty and gell so going to plug the hole with that once the pus stops draining. On the other hand her feet are really hard at the mo not what you'd expect from a horse that has only been barefoot since July. She's sound on nearly all surfaces - well all the surfaces we have in my area, I haven't had a chance to get on the downs link to see if she's ok on the stoney going or up on the downs where even a shod horse struggles. She's always had a good diet, the only difference is 24/7 turnout since july so obviously that makes a world of difference. Hopefully I'll be able to ride soon. |
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| Roobarbs Mum |
Not much in terms of performace really - had a lesson on Roo on Saturday, worked on getting him off the leg and coming into a contact. He started to get the idea towards the end and was really beginning to stretch his top-line. Ended the session by doing a couple of trotting poles and managed to jump 1ft 6in - whooo hoooo!!!!
We had to go over some pretty horrid stones to get to the livery yard where the clinic was held and he went over them without missing a step. Had a bit of a hairy time getting there when we met the local badger-baiting pikey family and their 20 dogs!!!! Oh yes, 20 dogs, all roaming over the fields and the lane, none on leads - it just looked like a sea of dogs spreading over the field and into the lane and coming towards us
Roo was petrified and started leaping and spinning which made some of the dogs start to bark and look very menacing but I managed to get him to stand still and just wait whilst they all went past. His heart was going ten to the dozen and I could feel it banging on my legs. I was really calm whilst it was happening but as soon as we got to the yard and had to explain why we were late I went to pieces It took me a good 5 minutes to get myself together. By this time Roo was back to being his usual chilled, laid back self
All in all I learnt a lot on Saturday - mainly that no matter how bad things get, and how out of control they feel, if I remember to stay calm and give clear instructions then Roo will listen to me and he does actually trust me enough to let me make the decisions. I'm feeling loads more positive about starting Endurance with him next season. Lucy |
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| stormybracken |
Well done Lucy, that sounds terrifying. At least if you were able to give Roo confidence this time then you've set it up for the next scary occasion when he will be less likely to react so strongly. And to be able to have a successful lesson afterwards is brilliant! | ||||
| evie |
Not had any updates for a while following my accident and Hera's subsequent idiot encounter with electric fence that took the front of her hock down to the bone in 2 places. A month on, it is looking good and as she has been confined to the barn and stones until this week her feet are doing really well although I haven't been allowed to pick up the bad leg for a couple of weeks and am not able to push the issue too much on one leg.
Shock news is that I've got my gorgeous Sooticob back from her loaner to keep H company - she has been out at grass while she's been away so there's a little flare to grow out but her frogs are big and tough and she's perfectly happy to bomb up and down on the stone part of the track playing pony races with H. She's fit and ready to go so am hoping to get someone to keep her ticking over for me so that I can get back on at Christmas. As the track is gopping at the moment they are confined to 100m of track with the stones and barn most of the time, with about 5 hours out with muzzles on each day on about 70m x 25m of meadow grass that was cut for hay back in the summer but hasn't been fertilised in years - so far so good but I will go back to the track system in early Feb. |
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