Tuesday 31st January
Today whilst poo picking the herd were very peaceful, it's pretty cold here today so any thoughts of Spring Play with the boys has gone and they were very much into their pair bonds today and it was lovely to see.
Monday 30th January
Yesterday whilst I was poo picking the boys must have got it into their heads that it was Springtime! lol. Here's some pic's from their play/fight session:
Saturday 28th January
Not bad weather, frosty, bit cold but shine shine is nice. Mark and I take the horses out midday for some well needed grazing. Mark's two were off leads and as normal I rode Tara bareback and led Solly....they behaved well together ;-)
We were all enjoying some relaxing time when from behind the house comes some shots...we thought it would be a quiet weekend but seems there was some clay pigeon shooting and they did it behind our house...to be honest a bit of a pain! ;( Horses were not bad but dogs, who were sunning in the garden, got very concerned, Rusty barking like crazy and then Frodo, our retriever, got so worried he jumped out of the garden and came over to where we were grazing the horses...poor boy, he HATES shooting and worry's a LOT poor boy.
So, I ride Tara back,leading Solly, who at this point is digging in his heels as wants too know why Stormy and Holly are trotting about a bit worried. I get Frodo back in the garden, S&T in the paddock again and then waited for Mark to catch his two babies and put them in the paddock too ;)
All back to normal Mark does some poo picking to stay in the field whilst the guns go off and I take the opportunity to do some 'good haltering' with Solly. I'm doing this as Solly has started 'playing' when haltering....tossing head, biting ropes, snaps and sometimes me so I needed to go right back to the beginning of haltering ie. turn head towards me with softness, then work on softness and acceptance of putting nose piece on.
SO, we do this slowly and just one little baby step at a time. I leave it about an hour later on a very good,soft,confident, acceptance note ;-)) Now I will have to do this for a few days running to help keep the haltering nice from now on....here's some pics from the day:
Tara, just over ditch...Solly contemplating it
(he usually jumps them!)
The herd enjoying the grazing together
After some very nice haltering ;)
Friday 27th January
Well this week has flown by, there's been two days of shoots up on the estate (nothing bad but a little unsettling for the horses) and a day of fox hounds (again nothing bad but the herd was on alert for quite a long time), I also did two good sessions on two days of poo picking and that feels good ;-)
Apart from all that not much going on with the horses apart from feeding, fussing, grooming, rug on/off with Holly, once on/off with Solly as he was totally muddy and wet, wet, wet. Hopefully over the weekend we will spend some quality time with them, maybe walk them out and definitely grazing in front of the house.
For now here are a couple of pictures I took today, I was down a hill poo picking and the sky was just stunningly blue:
The boys: Stormy & Solly
Dear Tara enjoying the view ;-)
Monday 23rd January
Lovely day today, spent some time with my best friend down the road looking at her lovely new horse. Then back home for tea and home made rock cakes, then took the 4 horses out in-hand for grazing with Mark.
I rode Tara out bareback and moseyed along ponying Solly. Mark let Holly and Stormy off and they hung around nicely with me and my two. We grazed around for about an hour and before heading back Islid over to Solly's back and moseyed him back to the field...just before the field I slid back onto Tara again...first time going left to right ;-)
Mark then fed the horses whilst I walked our two doggies and when I got back I stood outside the paddock fence and Solly managed to bring all 4 bowls to me again...he's so clever.
Sunday 22nd January
Cold but very nice day, sun trying it's hardest to stay shining (although a couple of short rain showers came by) so Mark and I poo pick the third paddock and get that cleaned up and then take the herd out for in-hand grazing and undemanding time.
I ride Tara bareback for the start and then switch over to Solly for the mosey back. It is good to do this and whilst Mark's horses were going here, there and everywhere, my two stayed mentally, physically and emotionally connected with me at all times which was GREAT ;-)
Best way to graze in-hand ;-)
Mark's two horses kept connected to us, often wandering over to be closer
After jumping from one horse to the other,
well not jumping, but sliding bareback one to the other ;)
Mark following Stormy to where his horses like to graze
They really do like the shorter grasses, whilst my two love the rough longer stuff
Holly and Stormy find the stream for a drink ;)
Mark hanging out with his two beauties
THE MUD MONSTER
Here is a sequence of pic's showing how Solly goes from a mud monster to a groomed, clean boy...and back again! lol
yesterday...completely covered in wet mud, not groom-able...
...this morning after being rugged in a med winter turnout rug last night,
the mud underneath the rug dried out, he is now dry and the mud cleanable,
so groomed him well. Mud on neck and mane still wet but with sunshine that may
dry out by this afternoon...
the mud underneath the rug dried out, he is now dry and the mud cleanable,
so groomed him well. Mud on neck and mane still wet but with sunshine that may
dry out by this afternoon...
...yeehaa, sun dried the mud all over him so a good groom with a rubber mud brush and a
hard dandy brush brings him back upto a presentable
horse that can go out and be ridden if wanted...
...ooops,,,,after grazing, back in field he rolled again and is back to being a
MUD MONSTER! lol
MUD MONSTER! lol
and Stormy who is the main
MUD MONSTER around here...
think he either likes being groomed
or wants to be a piebald or bay ;)
MUD MONSTER around here...
think he either likes being groomed
or wants to be a piebald or bay ;)
Saturday 21st January
Very cold here today and all the weather you could think of, such as: wind, rain, sleet, snow, sun in rotation all day! ;( But Mark and I decided an hour before horsey feeding time to just take the horses out for some grass in front of the house, we got pretty wet and as you can see from the piccie the two white boys were totally muddy but they enjoyed the grazing ;-) Holly and Stormy were free and I kept Solly and Tara on-line, that way they don't all just gallop about like wild things! lol.
Thursday 19th January
Cold and weatherman says it's going to be colder later with sleet and maybe snow? eek. Yesterday I promised Tara a hack out to the shop for a carrot and apple (also some small supplies for us) and didn't want to dissapoint her. I love being alone hacking with Tara, we get our special bond back and it feels like just me and her left in the world ;-)
So, after 11am I ask her to come with me to get groomed and saddled up. I decide to do the ride with just the saddle and pad as it is today, no shims (use these to raise the front of saddle slightly to put me in a balanced position).
It was very cold and a lot of the track where water accumulates was iced over so I dismounted and walked quite a lot of it as it's mostly downhill to the shop. Tara was perfect, following me quietly and calmly with no tension in the rope at all ;) We did manage a nice lively trot going around the village green which was lovely.
She stood tied up outside the shop whilst I made my purchases and she loved the carrot then apple I bought for her...perfect. I then remounted and rode the whole way back (easier as uphill).....getting a great trot and a short canter on the village green! lol
So, after 11am I ask her to come with me to get groomed and saddled up. I decide to do the ride with just the saddle and pad as it is today, no shims (use these to raise the front of saddle slightly to put me in a balanced position).
It was very cold and a lot of the track where water accumulates was iced over so I dismounted and walked quite a lot of it as it's mostly downhill to the shop. Tara was perfect, following me quietly and calmly with no tension in the rope at all ;) We did manage a nice lively trot going around the village green which was lovely.
She stood tied up outside the shop whilst I made my purchases and she loved the carrot then apple I bought for her...perfect. I then remounted and rode the whole way back (easier as uphill).....getting a great trot and a short canter on the village green! lol
Just managed to get home before the weather started to turn very cold, windy and snow in the air ;-(
Wednesday 18th January
Afternoon I groomed Tara, trimmed her hooves and then saddled her up for a very short jaunt across the grassland infront of the house, put saddle on without any shims today, think this suits her back shape better but will experiment regularly. Coming back to the field she offered a very exuberant canter which I gladly took, she must have given that yeehaa energy off to the herd too as they went cantering around the paddocks too ;0)
Tuesday 17th January
Saturday 14th January
Pretty quiet day today, very cold and frost stayed on the ground, this side of the glen, all day ;-( But in the afternoon Mark and I took the horses for a walk down to the big field to let them stretch their legs a bit and to give us something to do. The ground was really hard today so no running about or playing much but it was good to get out.
I rode Tara down bareback, ponying Solly and rode her back again afterwards, just before we get back to the field I ask Solly to sidle up to Tara and I move from Tara to Solly and then ride him back to the field ;-)
A very enjoyable day, quiet, peaceful and fun.
Here's a couple of pic's from today:
Mark going through a squeeze of farmers equipmemt
on the track with Holly & Stormy
very focussed and connected
Solly trying to bite Mark's palm...
Mark keeps his hand big and flat, Solly can't
figure out why he can't eat his hand. lol
Mark keeps his hand big and flat, Solly can't
figure out why he can't eat his hand. lol
had tons of layers on as very cold today
Holly, Mark & Stormy on the way home...
gateway, farmers equipment and herd of cattle all at once! lol
gateway, farmers equipment and herd of cattle all at once! lol
Friday 13th January
Not much done out and about with horses but Mark did trim Stormy and Holly's feet and I trimmed Sollys yesterday, just Tara to do and I'll get around to hers next week. I spent an hour or so just grooming them thoroughly today and think that this year, sometime, they should have baths....Solly's mane and tail are decidely 'un-white'. lol.
Mark trimming Holly
(he spent about an hour clean and then went and rolled in the mud again! lol)
(mane needs a clean BIG time! lol)
Tuesday 10th January
Well we were first without any electricity for a few days and now we've just been without a phone line for 5 days, hence no internet BUT we're back up and running smoothly again now ;-)
SO, here is some pic's and a short video from the fun we've had over the few days, as you can see from the piccie's the weather is spring-like, mild and all snow/ice now gone BUT we still know it's winter and wonder what the weather is going to do next! lol. We're are enjoying this respite though ;))
Muddy conditions around the bridge had us putting rotten hay
and an old carpet down to save the horses legs from going
knee deep into mud...luckily because of their NH training
going over it was FUN and not worrying at all...
and an old carpet down to save the horses legs from going
knee deep into mud...luckily because of their NH training
going over it was FUN and not worrying at all...
she doesn't mind sheep, cows, horses or most other animals BUT
when people move about she really watches them intently! lol
as wasn't sure how it'd go as normall I ALWAYS lead from her ;)
keeping calm hoping my two wouldn't think they were loose too! lol
and Stormy to the left behind us and Holly on the right ;)
Bareback swap from Tara to Solly
Monday 2nd January
Snow fell last night and again today...the greenery that was outside our door is now a white-out again. Very pretty but pretty freezing! lol.
Can't do much with horses, they're just eating and staying warm so here for a laugh is a short video from the end of December when the herd were taken back to their fabulous Summer field for two days...this was their yehaa back into the field...enjoy ;-)
Can't do much with horses, they're just eating and staying warm so here for a laugh is a short video from the end of December when the herd were taken back to their fabulous Summer field for two days...this was their yehaa back into the field...enjoy ;-)
Sunday 1st January 2012
Happy New Year to everyone out there. May 2012 be fantastic for you all and your horses ;)
Today our snow seems to be going quickly again and there's old grass to be had SO Mark and I take the horses out for some peaceful grazing amongst rainbows as it was on/off drizzle today. Just a couple of pic's for you today...
Mark w/Stormy and Holly
Storm's foot/leg are much better now and he's walking without lamenes,
he seems to be taking it all much easier so maybe some tenderness still there
but being more cautious will serve him well ;-)
Storm's foot/leg are much better now and he's walking without lamenes,
he seems to be taking it all much easier so maybe some tenderness still there
but being more cautious will serve him well ;-)
My two beauties enjoying the grazing they can now easily see
in the grassland in front of their paddocks
in the grassland in front of their paddocks
Giving Tara a good massage with my battery operated little massager
that I bought for the horses a few years ago.
When I was on the sore spots she raised her head and stopped grazing.
She seemed to enjoy it very much and hope it's helped her a bit.
Will probably do this again regularly if it helps her;)
that I bought for the horses a few years ago.
When I was on the sore spots she raised her head and stopped grazing.
She seemed to enjoy it very much and hope it's helped her a bit.
Will probably do this again regularly if it helps her;)
