Back on board!

I've been long reining round the caravan site all week trying to find a different route every day. On Friday the farrier came and tidied her feet up in preparation for the big day when I get on her again. I've taken up yoga in the hope that it will strengthen my leg and get me supple again so if I do come off again I don't do too much damage. People keep saying "you don't bounce as well when you get older "...well I intend to keep bouncing for as long as possible! The yoga seems to be working, I haven't had any trouble with sciatica since I've been doing it, my back feels better and I've got more energy time to get back on board.
Saturday was going to be the big day but we had some heavy rain as I was going to the field and I had a limited amount of time before catching the bus home. Excuses, probably, but you can't brush a wet horse and if you're in a hurry things go wrong and I wanted things to be just right. So we did 40 minutes long reining going right round the edge of the site so that she could see the horses in the next field and we finished just as it started to rain again.
Today was forecast to be the best day of the weekend. I gave her a quick brush getting the worst of the mud off the important places before losing my nerve. There was a moment when I thought it wasn't going to happen as she has put on a bit of weight and her girth wouldn't do up but luckily I found a longer one and there she was all dressed up and ready to go. I did a bit on the long rein just to get her used to the feel of the saddle on her back again and then I was on board. She felt very wide after Imshi and I think the saddle was a bit squiffy so I just did one little block of caravans and got off as my leg started pulling. Next time we'll go further .

More work for Sara

After a couple of weeks miserable weather I've managed to get another weekend of long reining Sara. Yesterday I took her into the cattle shed to tack up. Last time she was in there it was empty now there's a shed load of cattle and two horses in residence. She was a bit jumpy so I stood with her while she settled. She was too wet to brush but as we weren't aiming on going to any shows we figured it didn't matter much. She played up a bit when we went out but after a few circles at walk and trot she settled and we ventured briefly into the caravan site which we are allowed to ride round in the winter when the site is closed.
Today she was much calmer and had to say hello to the cows. We started off round the cattle shed again then did a few circles at walk and trot with Imshi and Bobby looking on then finished off on a different route round the site.
She enjoyed a good feed before going back into the field.

Rain rain go away

After a good weekend long reining last weekend it has hardly stopped raining all week and I have two soggy horses who have only been out of the field for food. They are not rugged up yet as the rugs caused a few problems last year. Imshi managed to shred four,  yes four rugs through rubbing them on the fence and Sara's rug rubbed a nasty sore spot right where her saddle sits. I'm hoping I won't haveto use a rug this year but will keep an open mind on the matter.
I hope it stop raining soon.

We had a weekend of long reining this weekend. Sara has been running wild for so long now I thought it best to go back to basics for a while. Not only does it get her back in the way of working it helps me to rebuild my relationship with her.
Saturday was warm but very windy,  possibly not the best day to start working with her. The initial plan was to take her into the cattle shed to tack up and let her see the two horses being kept in there over winter however as they were doing things with the cows that didn't seem such a great idea so we got ready by the gate. As we set off a we scared a flock of birds which startled her somewhat but she soon settled to doing circles and figures of eight at the walk with frequent halts thrown in for good measure. We finished off with a little bit of trotting on both reins and then finished
 on a good note before she got too excited.
On Sunday we worked for a bit longer and put in more trotting interspersed with circuits round the cattle shed. By the time we finished she had lowered her head and settled into a nice easy rhythm. She was quite tired as well.

(The video was taken earlier in the year before I fell off her and the quality of the long reining suffered through trying to hold the camera at the same time. It shows what a good girl she is most of the time that she let me get away with it! )

The joys of summer.

A moment or two from the summer.

Do you still love me Imshi? 

 Imshi, my 30 year old has picked up quite well after the visit from the R.S.P.C.A earlier in the year.

 In fact he's doing so well I've taken him out of retirement and he now has the job of getting me fit to ride Sara again.

I fell off Sara in June and pulled bits of me that shouldn't be pulled! I was hobbling around on a stick for a couple of weeks and it has taken forever to get my leg working properly again. I got back on Sara a few weeks ago but could only manage about 5 minutes before I had to get off. The theory is that If I can get Imshi going without a stick my leg is better!

Fat mares and skinny geldings.

It's been quite a busy month since I last posted here. I've been doing as much as possible with Sara even if it is only 40 minutes walking and trotting round the cattle shed. We've been building up the time spent trotting gradually.

Here she is ready to face the flies when we went out for a hack on Thursday. We were out for an hour and covered about 4 miles. She felt really settled and we trotted all the uphill bits. I was really looking forward to going a bit further on Saturday but she had other ideas and I spent all morning trying to catch her. It got to the point were neither of us was going to give in and I ended up having to take the other 2 into the cattle shed, leave the field gate open and let her follow. She still didn't want to be caught in the shed and I had to box her in the corner and slide the lunge line over her withers and round her neck before she gave in. She's never behaved like that before I think it must have been the thunder storm we had had in the night which upset her. She certainly used more energy than she would have done if I'd taken her out. 

The week before we'd had a visit from the R.S.P.C.A as some do gooder from the caravan site had decided Imshi was in poor condition and had foot rot! He is actually 30 years old and has a touch of arthritis. He dropped condition at the end of the winter when he had a plague of super lice which. were resistant to louse powder. He had a supplement from the vet in case they had made him anaemic, spot on treatment for the lice and the vet recommended Readymash extra to mix with the sugar beat and coarse mix he had been on all winter. 

Imshi 2 weeks before the R.S.P.C.A visit. He still had quite a bit of winter coat making him look a bit thread bare. 

A week after the visit. Most of his winter coat has gone but it is still clinging to his stomach. 

The R.S.P.C.A inspector was very nice and said he was in very good condition for his age and if anyone else said anything he would tell them that he knows the owner and there is no problem. He told me that due to EU regulations you aren't allowed to kill anything now and louse powder is only meant to deter them from getting on the animal, in his words every thing has to be nice and fluffy! I don't know about fluffy but they were certainly fat. 

We both agreed that it was more of a problem keeping the weight off Sara and Bobby than putting it on Imshi. 

Tuesday. Our first proper hack out in 2 years! I don't count our ambling round the village as a proper hack but today we did country lanes and went past fields with horses and cows in. She always used to be very worried about other horses in fields especially if they moved! It's fine for her to charge round the field like a mad thing when they go past her field but they are expected to gaze in awe as she passes. But she wasn't a bit bothered even when Destiny came running across the field calling to her as we passed. We met the bus and the dust cart on a narrow stretch. The only thing that did freak her a bit was the flock of geese on a lake in one of the fields we passed.
We kept to a walk again but although she was looking round at all the things she hasn't seen for so long it was a much more relaxed walk than Monday. She could have been a different horse. But isn't it amazing how a ride that almost wasn't worth bothering with as it was so short 2 years ago has turned into a major expedition now!

New shoes for Sara

Every girl loves getting new shoes and Sara is no exception. Tom came on Friday to give her a new set. 

She had lost one the previous Sunday so we have had yet another week off. But now we are ready to go again and the weather over the weekend was horrendous. Yesterday I was quite busy with all those things that get in the way of what you really want to do but we managed a quick lap round the village. 

What with being in the middle of a mega season and full of spring grass she felt a bit like a time bomb ready to explode but I managed to keep to a lively walk . We even managed a couple of brief stops at road junctions. 

Most of the traffic we met was considerate although we did meet one woman who seemed to want us on her bonnet. Yes I would normally pull over to let you pass dear but I didn't trust Sara to stand still. The ensuing exchange of pleasantries was watched by a gentleman standing on the corner and as I passed him he said' ' Well done'.

My thanks to all the considerate drivers out there and a word to the others. If the person on the horse asks you to slow down there is probably a good reason. We are not all stuck up and think we own the road we are just trying to preserve our and our horses skins. Even if you don't like horses just think of the damage that they can do to your car! 

The story of a foot.

Let me tell you the reason Sara has been out of action for so long. 

It all started with a surface crack then after a dry spell the bottom half inch split. My farrier who I had been with for over 20 years tried cauterizing it with a hot shoe and putting a back shoe on so that the clips would hold it together. At this stage it wasn't bothering her. 

My farrier was well past retirement age and I reluctantly decided I should change in case I couldn't find another when I really needed one. The one I got looked at the crack and said yes he could deal with it, no we wouldn't put glue on it as if dirt got underneath it would get infected and we would keep an eye on it. 

Well we kept an eye on it until it reached the coronet band and she was dead lame! The vet said he would staple and glue it.

I changed farriers. 

I phoned a few friends to see who they recommended and came up with Tom Baker. He has been an absolute godsend. I honestly believe if I hadn't found him when I did I wouldn't have Sara now. Exactly 2 years ago he turned up just to assess the situation and see if he could do anything as Gary had only reshod her the week before leaving with the words 'it's got worse, we'll keep an eye on it'.

Well Tom spent 2 hours cutting infected hoof away so the glue that I had been asking for all the time Gary was attending her had something solid to stick to. When he finished it looked horrendous. 

 Over the months we took more photos as it slowly healed. There were times when we didn't think it ever would.I even started looking for a husband for her.
But look at it now. It's a slightly different shape now but you wouldn't know which one it was if you didn't know.

I'm so grateful to Tom. But I will never forgive Gary for the unnecessary pain he put her through by not doing anything or seeking a second opinion and I will never forgive myself for trusting his college education over my instinct and not changing sooner.

feeding time

Where to start? I suppose I should introduce myself and my horses first of all. I am the wrong side of 60 so if you are expecting exciting hunting stories or accounts of show success you will be disappointed. I am quite content hacking around the country on my Irish draught/thoroughbred cross mare, Sara. The reason I am starting this blog now is because she has been out of action for 2 years with a split hoof and we are just getting going again.

 A very wet and muddy Sara being watched over by my G.S.D Finn,while field mate Bobby cleans her food bowl for her.

 Imshi is 30 this Year . I have retired him now but he still likes the odd poddle round the village just so he still feels useful. He was my first horse and has taught me most of what I know about horses. Sara has taught me the rest.

This was the first time I got back on Sara after her foot healed up. She was so pleased to start doing things again but we are taking it quite slowly and only walking and gradually building up the trotting for a few weeks before we go on proper rides. I may be being over careful but as we have been out of action for so long I don't want to risk strained tendons or anything else to put us out of action again.