Sid's diary
- Thread starter Jane&Ziggy
- Start date
R rode Sid yesterday and today, but this afternoon I brought him up to the house for a munch in the front garden. I sat on the terrace and read a book and watched him.
He ate steadily for half an hour, then got nosey and hopped up onto the terrace to investigate the bedroom window, the front door, the dogs' water buckets and the table and chairs.
Curiosity satisfied, he hopped back down and carried on eating. I called him a couple of times and he came over straight away to see what I wanted.
After an hour I went and opened the gates and called. He was finding out where the path beyond the pond goes, but backed out tidily and hastened over. I clipped on his lead rope and took him back to the field. We were both very chilled!
He ate steadily for half an hour, then got nosey and hopped up onto the terrace to investigate the bedroom window, the front door, the dogs' water buckets and the table and chairs.
Curiosity satisfied, he hopped back down and carried on eating. I called him a couple of times and he came over straight away to see what I wanted.
After an hour I went and opened the gates and called. He was finding out where the path beyond the pond goes, but backed out tidily and hastened over. I clipped on his lead rope and took him back to the field. We were both very chilled!
Our donkeys used to live in a paddock behind our house and came onto the lawn and into the house. Found Mouse watching tv one day.
40 bales of rather nice hay delivered today, so Sonne's owner Christine can go off on her holiday without worrying about her baby girl starving 
. My YO brought the hay down 10 bales at a time in the trailer of his quad bike, which was kind of him, but Christine and I shifted every bale off the lorry and onto the trailer and then out of the trailer and into the shelter. I threw it, Christine stacked it - she is young and strong! It filled the hay store to the roof and to the very door. We both looked at it with great satisfaction after.
I gave Sid and Sonne a wedge of hay in their hay box in the shelter before we started, and with all the comings and goings of the quad bike (4 trips) Sonne never came outside to look! Sid came to see what was going on, shrugged, and went back to his hay. Abby the Arab in the next door field fled from the quad bike with her tail in the air, then when it drove away chased it up the field with her tail in the air. Arab vs Cob....
I am a bit tired as 40 bales is quite a lot of hay, but pleased with myself for doing it. The farmer who delivered it, a true Sussex rustic, was clearly impressed by Christine's prowess and said to me, "What does she do then, your daughter?"
I laughed and said she was my friend, not my daughter (though I guess the ages are about right) and he looked heartily puzzled. I don't know why. He gave the impression that lots of things puzzle him...
. My YO brought the hay down 10 bales at a time in the trailer of his quad bike, which was kind of him, but Christine and I shifted every bale off the lorry and onto the trailer and then out of the trailer and into the shelter. I threw it, Christine stacked it - she is young and strong! It filled the hay store to the roof and to the very door. We both looked at it with great satisfaction after.I gave Sid and Sonne a wedge of hay in their hay box in the shelter before we started, and with all the comings and goings of the quad bike (4 trips) Sonne never came outside to look! Sid came to see what was going on, shrugged, and went back to his hay. Abby the Arab in the next door field fled from the quad bike with her tail in the air, then when it drove away chased it up the field with her tail in the air. Arab vs Cob....
I am a bit tired as 40 bales is quite a lot of hay, but pleased with myself for doing it. The farmer who delivered it, a true Sussex rustic, was clearly impressed by Christine's prowess and said to me, "What does she do then, your daughter?"
I laughed and said she was my friend, not my daughter (though I guess the ages are about right) and he looked heartily puzzled. I don't know why. He gave the impression that lots of things puzzle him...
I was shattered today after a very busy tough week at work, so I didn't take Sid out. He is fresh and would have been sportive and I didn't feel like it.
Instead I gave him a haynet and groomed him for an hour - long overdue, I must say. Then I took him across to the house for an adventure.
Sid knows the front garden well and has browsed every corner of it, but he has never been to the back garden. The access is difficult. However, we are going to do another No Mow summer and Steve enquired about the possibility of Sid contracting as our lawn manager. So I thought I would see if I could get him past the pond, round the 90 degree bend of a 2ft wide path, along the narrow gap by the hedge and through the gate.
I didn't film him doing it because I wanted to focus on him. But he was very very good. Here is a little video of what he encountered:
He hesitated just before the gate, where there were many unusual things to look at and sniff. I just waited until he had looked enough, then asked him to go through the little gate. He came without a hesitation. I thought he might baulk at the 3 stone steps that go up to the lawn, but that grass was calling him - he just rocked back a little and jumped straight up to the top step!
He didn't graze for long - the grass is very lush and I don't want him to explode. I didn't fancy him jumping down the steps, as there's not really anywhere non-slippy to land, so I walked him down through the veggie beds, which are mostly fallow at the moment. He was as chilled as can be.
The next time we do TREC exercises I will have high expectations!
Instead I gave him a haynet and groomed him for an hour - long overdue, I must say. Then I took him across to the house for an adventure.
Sid knows the front garden well and has browsed every corner of it, but he has never been to the back garden. The access is difficult. However, we are going to do another No Mow summer and Steve enquired about the possibility of Sid contracting as our lawn manager. So I thought I would see if I could get him past the pond, round the 90 degree bend of a 2ft wide path, along the narrow gap by the hedge and through the gate.
I didn't film him doing it because I wanted to focus on him. But he was very very good. Here is a little video of what he encountered:
He hesitated just before the gate, where there were many unusual things to look at and sniff. I just waited until he had looked enough, then asked him to go through the little gate. He came without a hesitation. I thought he might baulk at the 3 stone steps that go up to the lawn, but that grass was calling him - he just rocked back a little and jumped straight up to the top step!
He didn't graze for long - the grass is very lush and I don't want him to explode. I didn't fancy him jumping down the steps, as there's not really anywhere non-slippy to land, so I walked him down through the veggie beds, which are mostly fallow at the moment. He was as chilled as can be.
The next time we do TREC exercises I will have high expectations!
Third Sidiversary today! We celebrated with a lovely solo hack yesterday and a coffee hack today - a first for me. Sid is my equine soul mate, he could not be more perfect.
3 fairly easy hacks this weekend. Sid felt good for the first two and a bit slow for the third, though he warmed up as usual.
I have started using ear balm in his ears again to try to prevent a recurrence of his ear infection. His neck this morning was peppered with little, bumpy, bloody bites, poor poor lad. One warm night and the midges are out in force. No wonder he gets itchy. I put aloe vera gel on them and I think it gave him some relief.
I have ordered more Red Horse ear balm and sweet oil. I know the ear balm is just Vaseline and shea butter with essential oils, and the sweet oil almond oil and shea butter, but I trust their products. If the sweet oil works for moisturising the mallenders AND helping to get the scabs out of the feathers I will get a gallon of almond oil and pour it onto his legs all summer.
I have started using ear balm in his ears again to try to prevent a recurrence of his ear infection. His neck this morning was peppered with little, bumpy, bloody bites, poor poor lad. One warm night and the midges are out in force. No wonder he gets itchy. I put aloe vera gel on them and I think it gave him some relief.
I have ordered more Red Horse ear balm and sweet oil. I know the ear balm is just Vaseline and shea butter with essential oils, and the sweet oil almond oil and shea butter, but I trust their products. If the sweet oil works for moisturising the mallenders AND helping to get the scabs out of the feathers I will get a gallon of almond oil and pour it onto his legs all summer.
A great day yesterday on Horseman's Sunday . Every time we do something like this I am more impressed by Sid's fantastic flexibility, greeting the public one moment, dealing with big groups of horses, galloping like a loon the next!
When the vicar blessed him I really did just fill up. All my feelings for Sid, and riding, and being so lucky to live where I do, and Sid, just filled me up until I was choked and tears kept coming. Lovely horsey ladies who were helping the organising came and soothed me and gave me cups of water (and Sid polos). But I didn't feel bad, I just felt grateful and overwhelmed. It was wonderful.
When the vicar blessed him I really did just fill up. All my feelings for Sid, and riding, and being so lucky to live where I do, and Sid, just filled me up until I was choked and tears kept coming. Lovely horsey ladies who were helping the organising came and soothed me and gave me cups of water (and Sid polos). But I didn't feel bad, I just felt grateful and overwhelmed. It was wonderful.
I say down with my YO yesterday for a chat. It was good to have the chance to do that. We talked about horses for an hour (we always do) but I also managed to achieve my agenda. I established that:
- They really, really don't want to sell the field. But it's important that the livery continues to work at the new prices.
- All my calculations about their financial position were accurate.
- My YO would appreciate my help with finding and auditioning potential new liveries.
- And this is the biggie - if the worst comes to the worst and they do have to sell, she would like me to keep Sid with her horses! So I won't need to look for a new home for him.
That is good, I mean not all great news but it is always good to know where you stand I think. And nice to know that Sid has a home even if things go south.
curate's egg but as good as you can hope for if she has to sell
For the first time today Sid was ridden twice. His sharer rode him first thing, quite a long ride of 1.25 hours. But I had arranged to go out and nanny Sonne on a new route in the afternoon, and I really didn't want to lead him the whole way! I thought I would let him tell me if he had a problem with it, though.
He trotted over to me and wriggled his head into his headcollar - I love it when he does that, so helpful. Came happily out after me and got a good groom. I brought out the saddlecloth, showed it to him, put it on, he arched his neck and didn't blow himself up when I did up the girth. Wriggled his head into the bridle as well and reached for the bit. I think he was happy to go!
We only walked, but it was really good for Sonne as we went for the first time through the competition yard at the top of the hill. She saw youngsters, deer, guard dogs in training, lots of yard activity and was fine. Then as we left the yard we walked past the field of heavily pregnant mares and as one mare they all cantered over to lean over the fence and Sonne lost her shit, snorting and spinning. Sid was disconcerted but when I asked him he walked on steadily and gave space for her to settle and follow him, which she did, because she is a very sensible baby.
That was the only issue on the whole new route, and after that they were both super chill. I led Sid along Green Lane so I could let him eat some spring herbs, dandelions, cleavers, hogweed and cow parsley. He walked along munching the cow parsley, with the flowers sticking out both sides of his mouth, and a man driving a van laughed and took his picture.
Happiness!
He trotted over to me and wriggled his head into his headcollar - I love it when he does that, so helpful. Came happily out after me and got a good groom. I brought out the saddlecloth, showed it to him, put it on, he arched his neck and didn't blow himself up when I did up the girth. Wriggled his head into the bridle as well and reached for the bit. I think he was happy to go!
We only walked, but it was really good for Sonne as we went for the first time through the competition yard at the top of the hill. She saw youngsters, deer, guard dogs in training, lots of yard activity and was fine. Then as we left the yard we walked past the field of heavily pregnant mares and as one mare they all cantered over to lean over the fence and Sonne lost her shit, snorting and spinning. Sid was disconcerted but when I asked him he walked on steadily and gave space for her to settle and follow him, which she did, because she is a very sensible baby.
That was the only issue on the whole new route, and after that they were both super chill. I led Sid along Green Lane so I could let him eat some spring herbs, dandelions, cleavers, hogweed and cow parsley. He walked along munching the cow parsley, with the flowers sticking out both sides of his mouth, and a man driving a van laughed and took his picture.
Happiness!
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