10th January, 2008 Bad news week

I am sick of bad news. What with poor Butternut dying of Atypical Myoglobinuria Hepatology and renal failure and then learning that Teyha had died of the same thing at the beginning of December I was already feeling pretty down. Then our Ann's rescue foal, Leo, got kicked by his little mate and now has his jaw wired up - hopefully he is going to make it. Today I heard that the little Dartmoor I was going to see has not only got locking stifles but is likely to go blind as a result of an injury he received from his previous owner - little wonder that he is so spooky. Aaaaagh!

On the good side, the Lusitano horse is proving to be an absolute angel. She arrived with a bit of a reputation for tantrums and saying no to anything new and this morning she long reined out on the Forest in a gale force wind and torrential rain with a huge smile and workmanlike attitude and was a dream. I haven't had a lot to do with Iberian horses but this one makes me want one. The eight year old New Forest pony is also wonderful. He learned to long rein in about 10 seconds flat this morning (in the same appalling weather) and will be going out and about tomorrow. Another all-terrain-follow-you anywhere type of pony. Let's hope both of them take to being ridden so easily.