The Boys!

[Tir]

Horrah a morning at the yard. Drat to getting a cold!

Had a lovely ride around the fields in the sunshine. After 2 weeks off he behaved fabulously, was very polite about asking for a good canter. Happy ears.



Then did a little bit with D in the field just to check he remembered his manners. He was very good.

Then we had cuddles and sillyness!

 

[Tir]

Im not sure what Ive got is just a cold. I feel hideous. However, the weathers been lovely and Ive missed the boys so much Ive gone to the yard anyway.

Had a fab slow and gentle hack with the silly coloured creature which was just what the dr ordered.



Dippys now settled and happy with the herd and me so time to do a bit more with him to start towards joining civalised horse society.

Gonna bring him down to the yard to do something nearly every day now for 2/3 weeks and get him bitted before he can have another mini break.

Walking over poles, between the bright fillers around cones, no problem at all. Good boy.

Feet are now 90% good. They just get stuck to the floor sometimes, but have stopped trying to kick out so thats great progress. Hopefully next farrier visit will be without any sedation.

Spray bottles wont kill him and more, next step is the hose whilst its still warm.

Baby 'lunging' off a headcollar just in walk is fine with no distractions, but we had a small tantrum about carrying on walking when another horse was about today, but it really was small and easily dealt with.

The last thing to definately tick off before the nights really start to draw in is loading. It makes me nervous having a horse who has only had 1 experience of travelling and was hard to load with the pro i sent to get him, so will tackle this slowly but hopefully surely!

 

[Tir]

Nice evening at the yard after the first day back at work. D was a good boy and managed to deal with the kids playing football after growing to about 18hh and snorting a LOT. His go to is to just plant, but we did do moving a few steps forward at a time. Better than buggering off in the opposite direction though!

He is so cute and physically is growing up nicely!

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

Very handsome boy!

 

[Tir]

I still feel awful. Did D all on my own tonight he has been so good.

This is his favorite thing in the world....dinner time!

 

[Tir]

Did the dreaded hose today with D. Hose not turned on and the yellow snake is fine! Hose turned on also ok. Water touching him...someones trying to kill me!

We got all 4 feet wet in the end and he had a drink out of it...daft beast.

I think we are starting to level out again!



Rode the coloured idiot and did some schooling in the field. He was good, though what he was plotting with his mate when i put D back out I dont want to know.



And he added some more colour to himself in the form of dried on poo. He is disgusting.

 

[Tir]

So all the boys but D in the bad books today. They decided they didnt have enough grass so broke through the post and rail and went and behaved like idiots in the resting field. Or at least tried to. Somehow the idiot coloured managed to get stuck in the fence (miraculosly only the tiniest cut) but D was still happily in the field the rest of them should be in.

Drama you can do without.

In more positive news the Kramer catalogue turned up today. New horse = new stuff right. Ive mentally spent a LOT.

 

[Tir]

Been a goodish week. D had the farrier and all 4 feet trimmed with no sedation. Check those off the list, horrah. That makes it cheaper too!

He also came in when we were having a huge rug sort out, which is good as there was a lot to look at with stuff everywhere. And we're all sorted for winter.

However, i am thinking i might need some pro help with loading. Our yard owner had her big lorry open on the drive last night. Looked like a huge black hole and he just planted and grew about 8 foot and was just snorting like a loon. Took me an age to get him up to it (bribing with grass for each few steps), but we did get up to it and gave the ramp a good sniff. Walked past the vehicle fine on the way in so its not the lorry itself. See how he is with it today and whether he remembers it doesnt eat horses.

Just checking i was still there!

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

Bless, the worry side eye

 

[Tir]

What a fab week Ive had. We've all survived the weather and hound exercise leaving from the yard.

Dippy all of a sudden feels more grown up and his brain can focus on something more than 5 seconds.

Because of this we've tackled the scary side of the farm with the log piles, machinery, junk pile, huge empty barn and all sorts of stuff. Eyes on stalks the first time around, but pretty much dope on a rope for the second circuit. We are getting to know each other properly and he is starting to trust im not showing him things that wont kill him and i am defo starting to trust him to not bugger off or kill me about things he isnt sure of.

Weve done leaning over at the block and he didnt bat an eyelid.

Ive also raked up the rocks from our round pen so hopefully will have some pics of more gears than standing still next week.

As i left him this afternoon I thought he really does look a lot less 'baby' than he did.



And hacking with this one, always happy ears on the way home!

 

[Tir]

More firsts with D today and with no drama.



Starting to really be a nice curious young man, rather than a complete baby.

 

[Tir]

Fabulous weather to have horses today. 2.5 hr hack with the coloured beast this morning inc some nice long canters.

Then i finally mangaged to get a decwnt pic of D with his legs all rhe right place in the sunshine in the field AND both my boys together without trying to eat each other.

 

[Tir]

D is going great guns atm. Really growing up. Today he was bridled, did poles in the school and then played at the block with me leaning over.

We then went for a walk in the huge green field and was as good as gold.

Rode my coloured boy in the same field and had a lovely ride.

D had forgotten he had been in by the time I turned my other boy out.

However, looking very lovely in the early evening sunshine.

 

[Tir]

In the 5 days I was away Dippy has gone from sleek summer coat to fluffy winter one!

He also has these very pale tips on his ears which Ive not seen before and I think they are ever so cute.

 

[Tir]

Horses really can be complete idiots.

As you can see this is not exactly a bare field AND they have 2 large bales of hay.

Mr 'Id like to be in the circus' decides that eating the oak tree is a better idea than anything thats actually good for horses. You really can not help them sometimes.



The sensible ones eat the hay...

 

[Tir]

Well, the qeather has been grim here for it seems like the last 35 years, so have been doing less with the boys. Have been trying to hack out in the week before the clocks change, but the rains made two of our short routes a bog, so thats quite boring.

Boys are now on ad lib hay in the field so are quite pleased about this.



However, today was a nice day and a day of firsts. I rode BOTH my boys tonight. D was so totally unbothered!

 

[Jessey]

Yay!!!! Well done both of you!

 

[Tir]

Yay!!!! Well done both of you!

Thanks Jessey. There is something really special about that very first sit and Im chuffed to bits with how he handled it. Pics are terrible as he just wanted to follow my assistant about so whilst we were only supposed to be sitting and practicing the mounting block we did some walking and turning following her. Bareback in just a headcollar. He was so totally chill about the whole thing. How it should be if you have done your prep right, but you can never be 100% sure!

Whats going on...



Never mind...what we doing?

 

[Tir]

Last proper hack after work for this year today. I hate this time of year for the dark, but love the colours.



Tried to get D to be photogenic in the last of the light. Partially successful...

 

[Tir]

Grey skys today, but warm and at least dry for a 2 hour hack with the coloured creature. Desperately need to get the clippers out. I hate clipping.

Been working on getting D out of my personal space this last week and we are sort of lunging. Added another gear today. Not super forward, but id rather that than exposive and it will come. He does look comfy though!