Thursday 28th March
We managed to drive the car through the edge of the drifts down to the big field today...I say we, but it was Mark, determined to get the trailer, fill it up with new hay and get the horses back to their big field where it's less pooey and muddy there, with more space for big Stormy to move about and maybe some short nibbles of grass to keep their active minds occupied.
Spring is certainly here in their minds, the girls have started seasons and the boys want to play and they're all moulting like crazy ;)
So, once we got things sorted the herd went calmly and happily back to their big field and stayed out all day rugless (apart from Holly in a light weight one) but put them on for the night as it's still freezing here overnight.
Spring is certainly here in their minds, the girls have started seasons and the boys want to play and they're all moulting like crazy ;)
So, once we got things sorted the herd went calmly and happily back to their big field and stayed out all day rugless (apart from Holly in a light weight one) but put them on for the night as it's still freezing here overnight.
Tara and Solly ready to roll
Mark with Holly and Stormy
Tara ignoring the hay and finding her own grazing ;)
Wednesday 27th March
Oh it's been a hard couple of weeks here. Horses were down in the big field, happy as lambs in springtime and then we got some snow, and wind, then snow blizzards and the light flaky snow started to drift across the track down to the horses. The walk to the horses is a mile and doing that twice a day meant 4 miles of hard snow walking cutting around quite high snow drifts along the track ;(
Then we came to a point where we knew the car and trailer wasn't going to be able to get along the track to take more hay to the horses due to those drifts SO we walked the horses back along the track a couple of days ago to the home paddocks where they are comfortable for now. We really want to try to get them back to the big field asap as they need/like the bigger area and it's not so muddy there with small nibbles of grass coming up once the snow goes. BUT for now, they're here at home watching the world go by and waiting to return to their good pasture.
I've not done any play with them since the last post on the 15th when I played with Stormy. It's been about 3/5months since I've ridden anywhere apart from occasional sit on Tara SO today I was just determined to go somewhere and do something with Tara. I use Tara as she is the most trained, consistent, non-spooky horse we have and I trust her in strange places/situations so that makes it safer in bad weather conditions and more fun for me. I also love hanging out with her, walking with her, leading her and generally having an outing/adventure with her, we're good partners and enjoy each others company ;)
So today we went out for a walk through the snowy meadow in front of our house, through a snowed up gate and into the first field beyond our house. It's a steep hill field so I walked companionably beside Tara all the way down, at the bottom I got on for a while going out the field and down a very pretty snowy track that goes through a small field full of pretty silver birch trees, out the end of that field and onto the estate road...trotted down that and over the small pretty bridge up to the main road. Here we checked our post (comes here when postie can't get up to our house because of snow) and there was some post for us. Then back on Tara and walked down a track to the farm which took us past a highland cow and calf, a big bull (all in fields off the track thankfully) and a shed full of young highland cows. Then around a small older building and up to my friends house where I delivered a coat that I sold her daughter ;)
Then we came back the same way, I rode more, Tara was more confident, ears forward, gait happy and rhythmic and her head started to lower down into a more relaxed position......up the last big hill in that first field I drove Tara from Zone 5 whilst gently holding onto her tail, she went straight up the hill, choosing the best, easiest paths and helped me to stay with her by allowing me to use her tail and forward momentum to keep me going ;) love my Tara, she is most honestly the BEST horse ever ;)
The very last track from field to house I rode Tara....here are the pics...
Oh, and my lovely Light Rider bitless bridle noseband
arrived in the post, so well worth that visit to the postbox today ;)
Friday 15th March
Thursday 14th March
A bit drizzly today but out for an hour before horses dinner time to have some play re-connecting with Solly. We had a fun time and our connection is back. We did about half an hour online and then half an hour at liberty.
On line we did all the games with jumps, he was responsive and tried his hardest. The ground was a bit too hard to do too much so we kept it slow. He was a little sluggish but good for our first proper play in 3 months. Thoroughly enjoyed being connected with him again...here's some pics from our hour ;)
On line we did all the games with jumps, he was responsive and tried his hardest. The ground was a bit too hard to do too much so we kept it slow. He was a little sluggish but good for our first proper play in 3 months. Thoroughly enjoyed being connected with him again...here's some pics from our hour ;)
Playing 'touch it'...after being groomed a bit...
he's moulting now, this is the time of year I
start calling him 'snowflake' ;)
he's moulting now, this is the time of year I
start calling him 'snowflake' ;)
Circling game, finding relaxation quickly ;)
Another nice jump
Ask Solly to line up ready for a 'jump towards'
pipes scared him! lol
Nice jump towards at liberty
he had some too's and fro's and thought it
was much easier to go around it BUT...
...in the end he jumps it towards me ;))
Clever Boy
The whole liberty session was in the 7 acre field, herd up the top of the field where Solly couldn't see them but he stuck with me and enjoyed our time together. Just before dinner time we walked companionably up the hill together, he never once thought about running to the herd...very special moment ;)
Wednesday 13th March
Had a nice day today. Weather not bad, dry, not too cold. I moved a load of fencing from last year, Tara's old pen and put all the poles etc down the bottom of the field ready to section off half of the field when the grass growth gets too much..oh and to put my dressage arena up ;)
I played with Tara today, she was reluctant to leave the herd...they're all a bit herd bound since winter but I halter her and bring her down to round pen for a play. She does great. all the games at liberty with lightness. We have great circles at liberty, sideways away and towards and sideways in a circle around me L&R. Great fun with my special girl ;)
I then have a very short online play with Solly right before dinner time.
I played with Tara today, she was reluctant to leave the herd...they're all a bit herd bound since winter but I halter her and bring her down to round pen for a play. She does great. all the games at liberty with lightness. We have great circles at liberty, sideways away and towards and sideways in a circle around me L&R. Great fun with my special girl ;)
I then have a very short online play with Solly right before dinner time.
Asking Tara to catch me...she didn't want to
so I had to get a bit closer
so I had to get a bit closer
Whilst down playing with Tara in the round pen Stormy
brought the herd down the hill to be with her which
was so cool of him ;)
brought the herd down the hill to be with her which
was so cool of him ;)
We then played around with circles and cod's ;)
Tuesday 12th March
Went down to horses to 'be' with them. Sort out the round pen fencing, put up the jumps again and generally tidy up. The horses were quite busy themselves as there were BT men fixing poles in a field to the side of them and a couple of local men driving horses and carts along the road. The herd spooked at something and went up the field so I didn't get any play in but sorted the field out nicely. Here's the pics from this afternoon:
These pics are from this morning at breakfast, I rolled some car tyres down the hill which got them all 'alert' mode....was interesting to see how they reacted. Solly was the first curious one to lead them down the hill, Holly the first to venture near one of the tyres and Stormy the one that went and touched it...
Monday 11th March
This mornings blue skies, snowy ground and very chilly air
The horses all calm and up the top of the hill waiting for
their breakfast. The hay wasn't finished from last night
so we know they are finding some grazing ;)
their breakfast. The hay wasn't finished from last night
so we know they are finding some grazing ;)
Holly and Solly waiting, we left their rugs on so far today
but may take them off later on, Stormy and Tara have theirs off ;)
but may take them off later on, Stormy and Tara have theirs off ;)
Sunday 10th March
Well we took the horse back yesterday and today it decides to SNOW....never mind, it was a bit furious during the day, snow blizzards on/off with sunshine (very strange) but we only got a fluffy 2.5" of snow so we can happily deal with that. The horses are still very much happier being in the big field and are managing to find things to nibble on which is much better for them mentally, emotionally and physically ;)
The Snow blizzard, horses still just grazing away ;)
At dinner time they are waiting for their feed but calm
We rug them for the night as it's going
to get v.very cold tonight ;(
to get v.very cold tonight ;(
Saturday 9th March
Well it's a bit early this year to go back to the big field BUT the winter home paddocks are really poached and getting a bit slippery SO, now that the track to the field is clear the horses have gone back to their big field and oh boy did they like that idea ;)
field almost free of snow, pic taken from road
our entrance at feed time is the top right of the forest ;)
Mark leading Holly and Stormy back to field
Taking a couple of grazing breaks along the track back
to the field, this allows the horses to eat and relax and
release any excess energy from being excited about going
back to their field
to the field, this allows the horses to eat and relax and
release any excess energy from being excited about going
back to their field
Holly and Stormy at the last gate before village
the field is to the right of pic around the back of high fence
the field is to the right of pic around the back of high fence
Managed good synchronisation of halters off so that
herd went flying down the hill together ;)
herd went flying down the hill together ;)
And they're off ;)
looking at the whole field, making sure nothing
scary there for the girls ;)
All four hooves up ;)
Holly grabbing Storms attention...
...oh yes, he felt that....
Alpha and Beta quiet and watching the world...
No one to run with....
...goes to check on Tara...
...circles Tara....
...heads back to Stormy ;)
Stormy coming off adrenaline
Even Tara got carried away with the energy of the herd ;)
Well that was FUN
Call Solly and he looks up to see me
The herd relax close together, Stormy rolling
off adrenaline again and probably to put some mud
on any sweat he created, will help him cool off ;)
off adrenaline again and probably to put some mud
on any sweat he created, will help him cool off ;)
Holly and Stormy watching the scenery,
happy to be back in their big field.
happy to be back in their big field.
Sunday 3rd March
Not sunny today, a bit chilly but not bad at all really. We have a day off apart from taking the horses out for an hour grazing in-hand. I enjoy ponying Solly from Tara ;)
Saturday 2nd March
Another sunny day, really enjoying this mild weather, and in the afternoon Mark and I go out for a 'Saturday Challenge' of games with Stormy and Solly. It was a lot of fun and here are the pics from the day ;)
STORMY and MARK
walk through narrow gap with swinging dvd's
back up through narrow gap
sidepass over obstacle
sidepass towards over obstacle
walk forward through tree's...
halt...
halt ;)
stand on stone pedastal
(could only manage one foot but he went up)
(could only manage one foot but he went up)
stand on another stone, with two feet ;)
jump stream ;)
onto tarp...
...turn 180* on tarp and walk off
circle whilst Mark standing on a stone...
...circling
fig 8's around two sets of stone....
...fig 8's....picking his feet up nicely
squeeze around a pole and back
jump the burn again ;))
SOLLY and SHELLEY
We did exactly the same games. Some games were thought of by me, some were thought of by Mark. Having alternate challenges keeps us both inspired and looking for better ones each time. It's a lot of fun and both Solly and Stormy enjoy it and do very well with the tasks too ;)
