And we’re there...

[Jessey]

I didn’t really intend to do this today, but Niko got bitted for the first time. I just planned to start putting a finger in his mouth and let him see and sniff the bit but he was so good and like most things with him in it went just with me holding it offering him to investigate, when he repeated it a few times I figured he wasn’t bothered and clipped it on and when he took it again clipped up the other side

Then took it out, and repeated again and asked him to walk and back a little before dropping it out again. No fuss (other than a bit of the expected mouthing).

 

[Jessey]

Another good, unintentional, training session.
My friend brought her 2 kids (2 & 5yo) to visit, Niko came straight down to get in the middle of us. After the normal fussing and brushing the kids decided they wanted to run around in the middle of the track to warm up. This involved throwing a tennis ball, kicking a football and much flailing and screaming, Niko was desperate for more attention and was stood by the fence, to start with he was flinching and jumping, after a few minutes he was following the screaming kids along the fence line, almost joining in

I’m so chuffed with him, from being so nervous the first time I met him that I had to creep up to him to scratch him even with the breeder holding onto his headcollar, to this curious little soul who chooses to investigate things even when he’s unsure and learning to cope better and better in new situations. Now just to get him past getting over excited by new horses!

 

[Jessey]

Exciting news, heard back from my saddler last night and she’s blessed me using the saddle that doesn’t currently fit Jess on Niko, said it looks pretty good on him, certainly good enough to do in hand with that’ll make the whole hiviz thing easier to manage once I get him comfortable with the saddle.

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

It's going so well! He's a gorgeous little horse. Good on you both.

 

[Jessey]

There’s been a little tension after feed time since I started giving monkey some nuts, he tends to spit or kick his dinner everywhere then everyone is rummaging around in the sand eating anything left and I constantly worry about sand colic.

I tried putting his bucket in a tyre, and in a giant plastic tray but neither stopped it, so today we tried something different

Nose bag

youtube.com

10 seconds before I hadn’t tried this, he getting very tolerant of my wacky ideas he figured it out perfectly in the next 10 seconds

And not a drop wasted, the others were very miffed!

 

[chunky monkey]

Billy can be messy. Ive been putting the feed bowls on those metal beer barrels. Chunkys also got messy as hes got older.

I use the black rubber bowls. Billy is an idiot and will take a mouthful and cos he cant get anymore in his gob, he paws his food bowl with his foot. The food goes everywhere. Since putting the bowls on the beer barrels and he cant do it.

Yes its raised for eating which i know goes against the thing of natural eating from the floor. But all there hay is off the floor so i dont mind if its just the few minutes it takes to eat.

 

[Jessey]

Billy can be messy. Ive been putting the feed bowls on those metal beer barrels. Chunkys also got messy as hes got older.

I use the black rubber bowls. Billy is an idiot and will take a mouthful and cos he cant get anymore in his gob, he paws his food bowl with his foot. The food goes everywhere. Since putting the bowls on the beer barrels and he cant do it.

Yes its raised for eating which i know goes against the thing of natural eating from the floor. But all there hay is off the floor so i dont mind if its just the few minutes it takes to eat.

I did have the bucket in the top of a wheelie bin to stop the pawing, but he still spat it everywhere

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

Is that an improvised rubber nosebag? Smart!

Mattie is a shocker, he does not consider he has had a feed unless he has levered the entire thing upside down with his nose. Nothing I have tried will prevent him.

 

[Jessey]

Is that an improvised rubber nosebag? Smart!

Mattie is a shocker, he does not consider he has had a feed unless he has levered the entire thing upside down with his nose. Nothing I have tried will prevent him.

Yep, improvised nose bag to see how he took to it, I’ll probably order a proper one, which will be handy in years to come for long rides

 

[Jessey]

It’s amazing what a bit of Dr Green will do!

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

Glossy boy!

 

[Jessey]

Niko’s had an exciting week, my friends drove in the field next to mine, he was very excited and each lap they do, he goes along the fence with them
Someone I knew came to visit with her 4 very rambunctious kids who screamed and ran and he still stood quietly waiting for fusses.
He’s also getting really good about being in the stable, though only gets half hour in because Hank is still being a prat about it. But he will stay in there even with the door open after Hank and I wander off to do jobs.
He got another bath on Saturday and really enjoyed the roll after

a fresh dose of deosect was good timing as he’s just been too hot in his fly sheet over the weekend.

 

[Jessey]

He was a bit of a turd last night, I’ve been leaving him naked as it’s been so hot and he’s been bitten a bit and is uncomfortable, but wagging a leg at me for putting soothing repellent cream on isn’t cracky! Then when he realised that wasn’t going to fly he tried nipping instead!

But this morning he redeemed himself. I went to suedocrem his nose as it’s been getting crusty/pink, and I expected to have a bit of a struggle doing it, but loose in the field he let me slather it on and rub it in well with just a few flehmen lips

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

Isn't it funny what they do and don't like. Sid is the opposite, I get faces of ecstasy and presentation of sore areas whenever the soothing gel comes out, but show him the sun cream and he is in the wind! I have resorted to a fly mask with a really long nose piece to protect him.

 

[Doodle92]

Sultan wouldn’t let us put in sun cream and his nose burnt badly. He also removed every fly mask with a nose (and helpfully left then hanging on a fence post). So he had the peak of a baseball cap sewn on to the noseband of his headcollor. Looked bizarre but did the trick

 

[Jessey]

I might try a long nose mask next time I buy one, he didn’t seem to suffer for the end of last summer that I had him (and no signs from before) but it’s been very suddenly hot so perhaps just not enough adaptation time.

Something must have stung him or something, he remembered not to wag legs or nip but on that one side only did his best to scamper away and not let me touch, enjoyed the other side being done I had a good look but can’t see anything.

I’m pleased with how he’s looking

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

He is just such a beautiful colour!

 

[Jessey]

I’m so excited to get out riding this boy, he’s so brave and willing
Woke up early and decided a little adventure was on the cards
First time over the bridge, met a gang of 30 odd runners all with 1 or 2 very excited barking dogs attached, had a paddle in the river, saw the highland cows, cars passing with small boats on their roofs and he just did as asked, first time every time even if he was a bit unsure though he was mostly just totally chilled.

 

[Jessey]

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

What a beauty he is, and so good. But he did have Hank the Unflappable with him!