Energy is as Energy Does

Got home last night and after many cuddles with the various critters I thought I would get a post up for you all today. Scotland was brilliant, I don't want to bore everyone by giving you a blow by blow account of every single day but I will highlight some of the best bits, almost all of which are horse orientated.  If you ever get the chance to go, do it!  The only thing I would say would be to take a seriously good insect repellent, the midges were murder. If you ever want to see what its like for a horse with sweet itch, head for the highlands and stand outside at dusk! Safe to say there is nothing sweet about it but one hell of a lot of itch!! Anyways on with the adventure! The first highlight of the trip for me was whilst we were driving along a road that we found, exploring as we like to do. When I spotted this gorgeous beasty behind a fence. Well obviously I had to make Nigel pull over so I could have a cuddle and grab a picture!  Gorgeous and very...

So Easter is on the mend, eating again, bleating constantly and bouncing around like a mad thing. I think whatever the bill will be its more than worth it to see her back to normal! Also I have decided that at some point a shetland pony must come into my life. I love my driving and having met the most adorable shetland yesterday whilst watching my sister compete.... lets be honest I was snuggling the teeny tiny pony instead of watching properly. I did watch her actual round. I am a good sister honest!!  But look at this munchkin!! He is literally the most adorable thing I have ever seen, Id love to eventually have a team of these little naughtiest to drive. So sheep sorted and ponies fed we are all set to head for Scotland at some ungodly hour in the morning.  I've written out a list for mum about various feeding regimes for the dog, ponies, rabbit, birds and the lambs. Safe to say she will have her hands full with my gang of monsters!! I'm a little clingy to ...

Horses… Oh yes, I do love them, but sometimes they make you want to bang your head against a wall. I am currently incredibly grumpy and sleep deprived… why?  In a word, Horses.  More specifically, my darling section D.  That’s right, Stella. Combined with the beauty in the opposite paddock that just so happens to still have his manhood.  Its times like this week when I wish Rags was gelded.  Don’t get me wrong he is stunning, throws some utterly beautiful foals and has one of the best temperaments I have ever seen. Still, when he is a bad mood he is quite simply a nightmare. Not so much his behaviour… but the noise. To cut a long story short he recently had a lady friend out with him.  Being the first mare of the year he was a little excitable and after a week or so he was messing about a little too much, bullying her more than we like to see.  So as we knew he had already covered her, we took her away from him. Queue the tantrum.  ...

The Vet didn't get too us last night due to being called out on an emergency so we had to just continue with keeping her nice and hydrated and supplying her with good quality dry hay.  The good news is that she is much brighter in herself, and after being silent for several days she greeted me this morning with a lot of demanding bleats for her breakfast.  Her appetite still isn't as good as I would like but she is at least eating again. Its looking like the next thing I will have to do is make her her own little section of the stable as the two Mule-Texel crosses that she lives with are now about double her size. She is a Shetland so is small anyway but being ill has slowed her growth somewhat.  Now her buddies are a bit rough and I don't them pushing her off the food too much. Plus once she is on medication It will be good to keep her separate just to be able to track her progress more easily. Hopefully she will be totally back to normal in another week or so a...

Apologies for the large lack of posts over the last week, My little orphaned Shetland lamb is poorly so I have spent most of my time trying to help her get back on her feet. Needless to say, the blogging has taken a back seat until she is sorted. Poor little mite ahs a very upset tummy and despite having her back end cleaned up every day the flies also got their go and she had flystrike attack about two days ago.  Cleared that up but she doesn't want to eat this morning so we have the vet coming out, later on, today to see what else we can do for her.  Fingers crossed he will be able to give her something to help with her scouring. To begin with, I was told to back her off her concentrates as it was most likely to be these that have upset her.  However, after giving her a couple of days with lots of water, electrolytes and good hay to try and settle things down there is no improvement and now that her appetite is off its time to get back to the vet. Hense ton...

The girls stayed in last night due to the weather and the fact that they are both little fat monsters! So having rectified the two party locations that they call stables (I mean seriously I have never seen a section A produce so much poo...) I decided that today would be a good day to give them a good groom and pampering session. They were just a bit gross and dusty so after a good groom and polish they look much better. Manes and tails will be next on the list for a wash and trim, I want to try and get tails done this week and a bit more groundwork with the various beasties.  More to meet soon I promise! However I am not planning to do any serious work with them until we get back from Scotland, that way there wont be a week long gap in their training for them to get confused over. Back to today, Whilst tacking Thimble up in her new hi viz driving gear (Go and check out Dopo Coats on Facebook if you need any kind of Hi-Viz - brilliant and fast bespoke service!) Stella de...

I'm currently sat in my kitchen watching the rain pour as I type this, It certainly stopped my training plans for this evening but thats ok. It just means you will have to wait a little longer before the next new face appears.  The upside is that I have constructed a very good and helpful training wall plan that shows what I will be doing with various horses, and the dog, on various days.  I needed a way to balance my time between the horses and I was quite happy with the result. Its days like this that I wish I had my sewing machine around, its tucked away somewhere in the storage trailer and I really must find it.  I could be making all sorts of horsey bits and bobs when  the rain stops play outside. So with the girls glaring at me across the paddock, the stallion outside the window looking outright grumpy at the rain and a few bedraggled looking birds I thought  Maybe it would be a good time to post about some of the other animals that are inside...

This evening has consisted of bringing in two very lively ponies thanks to the high winds, Stella though has settled down and is munching happily on her hay whilst Thimble is having a shouting fit about being in for  a few ours.  Typical , naughty, spoilt little pony.  I thought I would leave the angry shouts of my mini madam for a few minutes to update everyone on Stella's antics this evening.  I thought we could do a few minutes on the lunge this evening, due to the first time showing me that she hadn't been taught to lunge in both directions. She is also worried about being led from the right hand side, she is happy to be lead from the left, the side that you mount , but if you lead her on the right she does her utmost to put herself back on your other side.  To do a bit of an experiment I just tried halting her and walking around to her other side, just to see what reaction she would get. If you watch the below video you will see that she blocks...

Apologies for the lack of posts in the last day or so. I have been flat out at work and home trying to get organized.  The girls have moved paddocks, and are appreciating the extra grass, even if it is minimal. Thimble is busy getting fit, although we missed last night due to the simply horrific weather.  The girls both just came in and dried off so that I could put their lightweight rugs on them, still even coming through the paddock gate is good for Stella as she still finds it nerve-wracking to go through the smaller space. Saturday night consisted of a nice ride out on the trap with Thimble, who decided that she now is a scurry pony and was well up for some faster work. What made me smile was how much she seems to love being out and about, and the lack of naughty / over-reactive behavior. She really is one of those little ponies that thrives on work. Mum even had a go at the driving and managed to take her for a little canter down one of the grass tracks.  ...

I am currently sat in my care at the top of a gorgeous hill, as one of the photographers for an event at Tumpy Green Equestrian center. Sun is out, ponies are awesome.  My other half runs the photography business alongside his full time job. www.njrbespokegraphics.zenfolio.com (check it out, help us all grow a little).  I also have studied photography, even managed an A level in it so its a good chance for me to get out and about and to get some practice in.  The good thing about taking some time away from my own troublesome twosome and coming to events like this is that I get itchy feet.  I want to be competing at friendly little events like this. To be honest, aside the trains (there is a railway line next to the XC field), which are frankly terrifying, this would be the perfect type of place to bring Stella when she is comfortable traveling. Its so laid back and nice, it doesnt matter how you go around and you can take your time. Plus there are clas...

Thimble went out in her trap around the fields again last night, once again driven by her aunty Gabbi. One again her behavior was impeccable. Last night she worked on trotting in an open space without getting fizzy.  She did brilliantly, I think she broke into canter twice but that was too much like hard work and she soon came down to trot.  She even took to lifting her knees high and showing that there might be some potential for showing at this rate.  She will go out again later as she needs to work every day to keep her rather large belly in check.  Even on a virtually bare paddock she still gets fat incredibly easily so her exercise is fundamental to her health. Having said that they really are on almost zero grass. So tonight they will be moving to their next paddock, opposite the stallion ( I just hope he gets bored of shouting at them nice and fast). I think I will have to split it in half though or I am never going to keep them both at a h...

The pony that we bought as an unbroken three-year-old because we fell in love with her.  The pony that went to Wales to be started and repeatedly planted the child that was her first jockey on the floor. The pony that the adults had to ride for the first six months because she was so naughty that none of us kids could stay on her.  The pony that would put me on the floor on a daily basis. Rear, buck, bite, bolt. You name it she did it. Escape artist. Thug. Two people required to lead her out to her paddock after more than two days inside. Literally insane to lunge. So why, ten years after buying her, did I decide that she would make a good driving pony? Let me explain. Nothing phases her... nothing.  Traffic, bring it, the biggest loudest scariest traffic you can think of, really,  not a problem.  Spooky...whats that then? Things behind her.... no issue at all - as long as you are not a dog.  Work ethic - She is never happier ...