30th April, 2009 Another early start

Popped down to Sue's this morning to put a headcollar on her wild mare, Mary, who was due to have her feet trimmed under sedation. This is the third time I have worked with Mary and I it took approximately 30 seconds to put her headcollar on. She's a lovely old girl and enjoys a good groom. I left before the vet arrived but I hear that all went well.

It was then off to take the starters for a walk in the morning mist. I call these I-Spy walks as the idea is to find as many novel objects as possible en route. With Rosie, we met and gently moved three young steers (she has been frightened of cows), said hello to four beautiful donkeys (she was most impressed with those) and stood about 3 foot away from a Jewson's lorry that was backing into a long drive (boring, said Rosie). Fern couldn't care less about steers or great herds of Shetland ponies sweeping majestically across the green. She is however, slightly worried about traffic so again we followed a (TNT) lorry up a long drive at trot and then inspected the vehicle while the driver delivered a parcel to the Nursing Home. She particularly liked "driving" it back down the track as it was reversing and she could easily keep up with it. Thank you to the drivers of both of these vehicles.

Yesterday evening, Maria Owens came out to take a saddle fitting for Fern, Petra and Chancer. She is extremely thorough and has a stock of templates that look like television aerials that she moulds to the shape of the horse's back, this acquiring a pattern for the shape of the whole saddle area not just the head. Petra, who can look like an angel most of the time, gave the "aerial" a very old fashioned look and wasn't quite sure she could cope with it near her. A bit of touch and move away technique and she was prepared to take the risk. The templates will be used to find the very best fitting tree for our Western saddles.